A Twisted Sacrifice
by Lissanrose
Summary: What happens when Dimitri's love fades. Rose leaves court but is sent on a mission for Tatiana. Rose is accused in her murder and is on the run, tasked with finding the lost Dragomir heir. Like Last Sacrifice but with a twist. Wrote this while trying to come up with new story ideas. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I did this while i was trying to come up with ideas for new stories and i liked it so much i thought i'd share it. I dont know where i'll take this but you love to hear ideas. Please R&R.**

Chapter 1

Rose POV

_Love Fades. Mine Has._ Those words rang through my mind clear as church bells on a Sunday morning. He was so confident and sure with those words that it was hard to think he didn't believe that. I knew he did. I thought that by returning him to his former self that we would be happy together, but I was finding out the hard way that was wrong. Did I regret having him returned to his damphir self? Hell No! I loved him no matter how he felt about me now. But I couldn't take living here anymore. Seeing him every day following Lissa around like some lost puppy and answering her every request was something I just couldn't bear. I ran straight to my room, ignoring everything and everyone else.

As I reached my room, I pulled out my phone and called the one person I had grown to trust. I told him everything and he arranged my flight. I knew where I wanted to go first. Even if Dimitri didn't love me anymore, I knew that I would be able to depend on his family in Baia. I wanted to go there also to explain that Dimitri was no linger strigoi and to explain the reasons for my leaving so abruptly before. When I got off the phone, I ran through my room, collecting the thing I would need and clothing that I packed into my suitcase. When I was finished packing, I stowed the suitcase under my bed in case someone came to see me and sat at my desk, writing letters to those that I had loved and who had betrayed me. I also wrote notes to the others and explained my leaving to them as well. When I was finished I went to Hans office, telling him I was leaving and he agreed not to say anything to anyone.

Just before the car came that would take me away from here, I was summoned by Tatiana. I groaned wondering what she would have to say about my departure from court. I walked to her chamber where I was summoned and she sat in a fancy looking chair next to a small elegant couch. She was sipping lightly on some tea and waved me over as she saw me enter the room. The butterflies in my stomach were out of control and I was very nervous as to why she had summoned me here.

"Hans has told me that you have requested to leave court and resigned as a guardian?" She asked and I nodded.

"Yes your Majesty." I answered simply. She did something I had never thought I would ever see as it related to me, she smiled.

"While I'm sure that you have your reasons, I would like to ask a favor of you while you are gone?" She said.

"Yes your Majesty?" I asked. She handed me a paper that was folded into my hands and smiled.

"Do not open this until you are away from court." She instructed and I nodded in confusion. Well I'll be damned, she smiled again. "The information in that letter is crucial to the survival of our world. There is someone described in that letter I want you to find for me. Along with it is an account I have set up for you for your services." He face fell a little. "There are some that want to enslave the damphir race and want me to pass laws that would ask compulsion be used to do so. Since I have refused such ideas, there are Moroi who are not happy with me and I have made quite a few enemies as queen. Hold onto that information for it just might save your life." She said and I nodded. She dismissed me and I ran to my room to get my things. Before I knew it, I was leaving court and my friends behind.

I waited until I got on the plane before I opened the letter that Tatiana had given me. Just as she said, I found the information for the account she had set for me and information on an unknown person I was supposed to find. I set those things aside and focused on the letter. It was written in Tatiana's elegant scrawl and I knew she did that so there was no question this was from her. She had also included her personal royal seal to confirm it.

_Rosemarie,_

_There are those who will try to take the Moroi court and make it into a world built on the backs of damphirs like yourself. My rule as monarch is coming to an end and I believe that Vasilisa will be the one to take the moroi to new heights. The rules stating she cannot take her council position are indeed true, but she is not the last of the Dragomir line. There is another, younger than she is. Find the illigitimate child of Eric Dragomir and Vasilisa can take her rightful place as queen. I announce Vasilisa Dragomir as my successor in this letter to you Rosemarie because I know that you will keep it safe. Find her younger sibling and be careful who you share this information with._

_After you left I had a meeting with someone you know very well. It was…. _**(AN: I can't just come out and say it now can I? Keep reading and you'll know.)**

_Queen Tatiana Ivashkov_

Well if I wasn't rendered speechless enough today, I sure as hell was now. I decided right then that I wouldn't spend very much time in Russia as I had planned. I would do what I set out to do, but then come back to the US to find Lissa's long lost relative. I knew that Eric having an affair with someone and having a child would hurt Lissa, but it would be exactly what she would need to assume the throne. I packed the letter and other contents carefully into my bag and settled into my seat for the long ride to Russia.

Lissa POV

I hadn't heard anything from Rose in a few days now. I hadn't gone to look for her because I had been very busy with politics and with helping Dimitri over his guilt that he carried for the sins of the strigoi. I was a little miffed with her for speaking to Dimitri at the church but that was nothing we wouldn't be able to work out. I was walking over to her room in the guardian building to see her and find out why I hadn't heard from her when I noticed there was a commotion throughout court, especially near Tatiana's quarters. Curiosity and concern got the better of me and I went to see what was up. I made my way through the crowd and I saw that the guardians were bringing a body out of the building.

"I can't believe that someone killed her. Who do you think would have done this?" one of the Moroi asked someone beside them.

"I don't know, but my guess is that Hathaway girl. You know that they never got along and after that scene she made at the last meeting she would be my guess." The other said. Rose would never kill her, even if they didn't get along very well. These people were crazy but I listened to see if I heard anything more useful.

"Come to think of it, you're probably right. I haven't seen her today have you?"

"Nope haven't seen her in a few days, but the last I saw her she was leaving the queens quarters several days ago which was about the time that she was murdered according to the guardians." What? I was worried and left the crowd, going straight toward her room as I had been before the commotion caught my eye. I got to her door and knocked several times with no answer. I turned the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. I opened the door and was shocked at what I found. Her room was the same but there were many of her things that were missing and it looked like she left in a hurry. I walked into the room and carefully scanned it for any information. On her desk I found several letters, addressed to each of her friends and to Dimitri and I. I grabbed the letters and exited the room, thinking that the guardians would probably be looking for her now and would search the room for any information to where she had gone.

I called all of our friends together to give them their letters and read my own. I waited impatiently as they arrived and they were curious to why I had called them here. When they all gathered, I told them why they were here.

"I called you all here because as some of you may or may not have heard, Queen Tatiana was murdered." I said for starters and shocked gasps went through the room.

"What?" Adrian screamed in shock and sadness at the news. Crap I somehow forgot that Tatiana was his aunt and they were very close.

"I'm sorry Adrian, but there is more." I said and Adrian was in tears already at the news of her death and I waited for him to calm a little. When he composed himself a little more I continued. "Rose is also missing. I went to her room and it looked like she left in a hurry." I stated and all of their faces showed shock. "She left letters for all of us and I thought that we should all read them together." I finished and none of them had shaken the shock. Dimitri was the first.

"Then let's get started." He said and I nodded. I passed each person in the room their letters and opened my own just as they opened theirs. As I started to read, Rose's words broke my heart.

_Lissa_

_I am sorry. I know that I promised to take you with me on my next adventure, but I had to get away from court, from Dimitri and from you. Everyone is too busy with their lives to worry about me and Dimitri doesn't want me anymore. I can't stand to see the two of you so close day in and day out while both of you refuse to acknowledge my presence. I will be back one day, I hope. Please take care of yourself and him for me please. I have written a letter for each of you to say my goodbyes, since I'm probably long gone before you notice I'm not around. I love all of you and think of you always. I will continue to take the darkness from you so don't worry. You are still my best friend Liss and my sister and I love you._

_Rose_

I had tears in my eyes as I read the letter aloud for everyone and I felt so much guilt for being the cause of her leaving. Dimitri opened his letter and took a deep breath before reading aloud as I had.

_Comrade_

_No matter what you will always be my comrade. I love you more than anything and even if you no longer love me, you are where my heart belongs. I tried to do what you asked. I tried to move on without you but I have no more room in my heart. Your love may have faded but mine never will. I thought once you were returned we could finally be happy together but I was wrong. I don't regret having you brought back but I cannot look at you and Lissa knowing I can never be yours again.  
I love you Comrade, forever._

_Rose_

"So this is all your fault?" Adrian asked Dimitri and I. He glared at Dimitri. "What did you say to her?" he asked. Something I also wanted to know.

"Love fades. Mine has." He answered in a small voice that was so unlike him. The room filled with shocked gasps as we stared at him in disbelief.

"Why Belikov? She loved you. I tried to make her see that she loved me, but you were always first in her heart. She did love me, but nothing like what I have seen with the two of you." Adrian said and I was a little shocked at his acceptance of her love for Dimitri.

"Because every time I look at her, all I can see is what I have done to her. What I did as a strigoi, and even before. I constantly see those things in my mind. I pushed her away to protect her." He said.

"You are an idiot Belikov. You are guilted because you pushed her away at the academy, aside from the strigoi thing, and you are doing it again. You lied to her and pushed her not only out of your life, but ours as well." Adrian said and he was right. I knew why he pushed her away, because of the guilt for the time as a strigoi, but he lied to her. Dimitri looked defeated but I tried to move this along a little.

"Adrian read your letter please?" I asked and he nodded openly glaring at Dimitri and at me. I knew I was partly to blame in this.

_Adrian_

_I am sorry Adrian. So sorry. I tried to make myself love you and move on from Dimitri, but I just can't do it. I do love you, but it is different. I love you like a very close friend, confidant and I tried to love you more. I have to leave court behind for a while to come to terms with myself. Adrian I thank you so much for helping me to find Dimitri in Russia. I know that it didn't work out as I planned and I had every intention of fulfilling our agreement, but you are very special to me and I cannot lead you to believing there will be something more between us. All of the money that I borrowed has been refunded to your account and please accept my apologies for all that I have done against you. I love you and never forget that. You will always be my dream stalker._

_Rose_

Eddie read his letter next.

_Eddie_

_I know that you have been mad at me for certain events and I am truly sorry. I was selfish in a lot of things and I took my frustrations out on you. You are like a big brother to me and I love you. Mase would be very proud of the man you have become and you are a kickass guardian. Not as kickass as I am, but you get my point. Please don't be sad that I am gone. I will make it back to you guys one day. Love you brother._

_Rose_

Mia red her letter next.

_Mia_

_I have to say that when we first met, I would have never thought that we would be friends. I was wrong. Kind of like when I said that Water wasn't much use against the strigoi and we both know how that turned out. You are someone I consider a very close friend now and I am sorry that I had to leave, but you probably understand why now. Keep Lissa company for me while I'm gone will ya?_

_Rose_

Christian sat beside me and began to read his letter.

_Christian_

_Much like Mia, I didn't like you very much when we first met, but you have proven yourself a true friend many times over. You are the snarky sarcastic brother that I never had and I love you as a brother. Spokane was a turning point for all of us that were there and I know that you, Eddie and Mia will know what I mean. Please take care of yourself and Lissa. I'll be back and don't get too lonely while I'm gone because I'm sure there is someone around there that you can argue with._

_Rose_

We all sat there in stunned silence until there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it and was surprised to see there were several guardians that stood there.

"We are looking for Rosemarie Hathaway for the murder of Tatiana Ivashkov." Shit they think she did it.

"Okay A. she didn't do it and B. she isn't here." I said while the others came up to see what the commotion was. I'll admit that it doesn't look good, but Rose couldn't kill her.

"What's this about Liss?" Christian asked coming to my side.

"They are looking for Rose. They think that she murdered the Queen." I said glaring at the guardians standing in the doorway.

"What?" The group said in unison. "There is no way that Rose would have killed her." Adrian continued.

"There is evidence that she did and when we find her, she will stand trial for murder and high treason." One of the guardians stated and we all stood there in shock.

Rose POV

I got off the plane in Saint Petersburg and was given a rental car to make the long drive to Baia. As I was loading my things into the car, I was suddenly sucked into Lissa's head. I had expected to be sucked in when she found that I was gone and I was right. I felt her surprise as she looked around my almost empty room and she found the letters. There was something else there that shocked me. I saw from her thoughts that Queen Tatiana was murdered and I knew I had to finish my business here quickly. I knew the person that she met with after I left and I couldn't believe what I had heard. I pulled into a gas station several hours later and was pulled in again as several court guardians stood at Lissa's door. I heard the conversation that she was having with the guardians at her door and it shocked me.

"We are looking for Rosemarie Hathaway for the murder of Tatiana Ivashkov." Shit they think I did it.

"Okay A. she didn't do it and B. she isn't here." Lissa said while the others came up to see what the commotion was. I'll admit that it didn't look good.

"What's this about Liss?" Christian asked coming to her side.

"They are looking for Rose. They think that she murdered the Queen." Lissa said glaring at the guardians standing in the doorway.

"What?" The group said in unison. "There is no way that Rose would have killed her." Adrian continued.

"There is evidence that she did and when we find her, she will stand trial for murder and high treason." One of the guardians stated and they all stood there in shock. Hell I did too. I left as soon as I saw Tatiana so I had no idea that she had been murdered and I knew for a fact I didn't do it. This must have been what Tatiana was talking about I thought. I paid for my gas and continued to Baia. I was just getting dark when I got there and I walked up to the door after parking the car in front of the house. I knocked nervously on the door and waited for someone to answer. Seconds later I heard a string of Russian and the door opened to reveal Olena. She widened her eyes in surprise and a second later she wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Roza, what in the world are you doing here? Where have you been and why did you leave so suddenly before?" She shot off a string of questions and I laughed lightly at her excitement.

"I have several things that I need to explain but first, can I come in?" I asked and she blushed lightly in embarrassment.

"Of course Roza. Everyone was very worried about you when you disappeared like that, but Yeva said that you were doing what you set out to do." Olena said and I smiled. As we walked into the living room I caught Yeva watching me with a knowing glance and she smiled at me. After all of the greetings were finished, I got down to business.

"I know that you are all wondering why I left so suddenly before and why I am here now. I cannot stay very long because I have been given a very important task I must complete soon." I paused for a minute and caught Yeva smiling like the cat that ate the canary. "First, I left because I had to fulfill a promise to Dimitri. We promised that if one of us ever turned strigoi, that we would kill the other, freeing them from their soulless strigoi state. My attempt failed and I nearly died in the process, but when I went back to the US, I found a way to bring him back to his original damphir state." Gasps filled the room and they all looked at me in disbelief. "Vasilisa and I managed to do just that and he is no longer strigoi. He is a damphir again." Victoria scoffed.

"If he is a damphir again, then why isn't he here with you?" Vika asked.

"Because he told me he didn't love me anymore and doesn't know that I am here. I don't want him to know either, especially since I won't be staying long." I answered but she wasn't convinced. I heard Yeva muttering something in Russian and I assumed it was directed towards Dimitri.

"So why did you come in the first place if you aren't staying long?" Olena asked.

"There have been several new developments since I left court and I have to complete my task in the US. But I wanted you all to know that Dimitri isn't strigoi anymore."

"It's okay Roza, I know that you weren't even at court when the queen was killed." Yeva said. I was shocked along with everyone else.

"Queen Tatiana's dead?" The rest said in unison and I nodded.

"I didn't even know it until I arrived in Saint Petersburg, even then it was because I was in Lissa's head. They say they have evidence to prove I did it but I don't see how that's possible." I said.

"You probably did do it." Victoria muttered but I heard her and whipped my head in her direction.

"What the Hell Vika. Is this about that stupid Rolan? I told you that he was no good and I did what I thought was best to protect you." I yelled and she flinched a little.

"Rolan? What about Rolan?" Sonya asked confused.

"The night I left here, when I went with Vika to a club where she met Rolan. She walked away and he hit on me, so I knew he was bad news. I made a deal with Abe that I would leave if he got her out of there and got Rolan away from her." I explained and Vika was glaring holes into me. The others were shocked but Sonya recovered quickly.

"Vika, Rolan is the one who got me pregnant. He is the father of this little girl in my arms." Sonya explained and Vika paled. It was quiet for several minutes and Vika turned to me.

"Rose I am sorry. I didn't know and I was afraid that you left because of our fight. I'm sorry please forgive me." Vika rushed out and I smiled.

"It's okay Vika. I just didn't want you to do something you'd regret and I wanted to make sure you were safe." I said. We talked for a little longer until it was time for dinner and I thought of something. Yeva looked at me and nodded like she heard my thoughts. I went upstairs that night and slept in Dimitri's room. Hoping that one day we would be together again.

The following morning I went with Yeva over to Mark and Oksana's house. She was surprised to see me there and hugged me tightly as did Mark. I asked for their help with a little something and the agreed that it would be best while on my little journey. Oksana made several rings for me, charmed to change my appearance so I wasn't hunted down for Tatiana's murder before I accomplished my mission. After several hours with them I said my goodbyes to everyone and called Abe. I drove to the location he gave me and he was surprised at my appearance but smiled saying it was probably the best idea since I was accused of murdering the Queen. I showed him the letter and he agreed tohelp me locate this person with the help of my favorite alchemist.

So now it was Abe, Sydney and myself on Abe's jet along with his two guardians Pavel and Sergei. Sydney was running a search using the information that I had been given on the lost Dragomir heir and after searching through countless bank records and address changes she found a place for us to start looking. We searched all the records we could find and there was an address of a woman who was formerly a Vegas showgirl and now performed with a dance company out of Detroit. I recognized the name of the woman and gasped in surprise. I now knew who Lissa's half-sister was and I wondered how I didn't make the connection before. Now that I thought about it, she did have the Dragomir eyes like Lissa did and like her father Eric. School was on break at the academy so we had a really good chance of finding her at home.

"Dammit why didn't I see this before?" I asked no one in particular. Abe looked at me in question.

"What is it Rose?" He asked and I sighed handing him the paper with the information for Emily Manstrano and her daughter Jillian. There were pictures with the information and I sighed.

"I should have noticed that her eyes are the same as Lissa's, and Eric's." I said frustrated. He put a calming hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay Rose. We will get everything sorted out." He encouraged.

"I hope so. I don't want to be on the run the rest of my life." I said.

"You won't Rose. Remember your plane ticket? Word from court is that they estimated time of death at the same time you were boarding that flight. There is no way you could have killed Tatiana and been able to catch that plane too." Dad really had thought of everything. I smiled at him and he returned it. We arrived at the address that was listed for Jill and her mother several hours later and I knocked on the door. Abe's guardians stayed at the car and so it was just Abe, Sydney and I standing at the door. Emily answered the door and I forgot that I had the ring on that hides my appearance. When I took the ring off she widened her eyes and started to shut the door but Abe held it open.

Emily Manstano, My name is Abe Mazur and you already know my daughter. The alchemist there is Sydney Sage. We just want to talk to you and I know you think that Rose had something to do with Tatiana's death but please hear us out. If you are not convinced then you can call the guardians and Rose will go willingly to court." He said and I was in shock but kept quiet. She nodded slightly and ushered us inside.

"So why are you all here to see me?" Emily asked and I sighed, handing her the letter that Tatiana had given me. She read the letter through and sighed in defeat. "I knew that this day would come but I hadn't expected it to be so soon." She said and called for Jill to come downstairs. She came into the room and brightened a little when she saw me. Emily explained to her about how she was a Dragomir and had the choice to go to court of live her life here. Jill sat there with wide eyes and listened to every word. She was a little shocked but held it together well. When Emily was finished, she looked over to me.

"You really need me to go to court don't you? It would help to clear your name wouldn't it?" Jill asked and I nodded.

"I won't push this on you Jill. This is your decision alone. I believe I have enough to clear my name, but Lissa needs you too. It will be hard for her to accept that she as a half-sister, but she will and as soon as she is Queen you will be given guardians and a royal title. I'll be perfectly honest Jill. This could make you a strigoi target and you need to consider that, but I will support whatever you decide." I said. Jill smiled at me and I returned it.

"Thanks for being honest with me Rose. I'll go with you to court and help you and Lissa." She said confidently. Abe rushed a blood test for DNA confirmation and we brought all the information along with us to court.

Several hours later we were nearing the court grounds and I was very nervous. I had my ring on so that no one recognized me just yet. Abe went to request a meeting of the councils so that the evidence could be presented and I stayed close to Jill and one of Abe's guardians Pavel. Minutes later, a hand rested on my shoulder and I turned to meet the emerald eyes of Adrian.

"What are you doing here Rose?" He whispered. "The whole court thinks you killed my aunt." Damn I forgot that he could always pick out my aura from everyone else.

"Abe is setting up a council meeting and everything will be revealed. Get the others and have them meet there. I have evidence to prove I didn't do it and in fact I know who did." I said and his eyes widened. "Don't tell anyone I'm here just yet." He nodded and took off to find our friends. Abe returned saying that the councils would have an open meeting in ten minutes and I was very nervous. Ten minutes passed slowly and the council was seated along with the guests who were here.

"Abe Mazur has called this meeting for unknown reasons. Mr. Mazur, will you tell us why we are here?" One of the Moroi council members said and Abe stood and approached the center of the room.

"Of course. We all know that our dear queen has been murdered and some are saying that my daughter Rosemarie is the killer. It will be proven today that she was not even at court when Tatiana was murdered." Abe stated.

"Mr. Mazur, we have solid evidence that she was the killer. She was also the last to see her alive and was killed by Rose's stake." The Moroi stated.

"Not true. Here in my hand is a letter addressed to Rosemarie from Tatiana herself, given to her shortly before the murder. Also during the time of her death, Rosemarie was already boarding a plane heading for Russia, one I had arranged for her myself." Abe handed the ticket stub that was stamped with the flight time and date to the council and their eyes widened. "There is also camera footage from the airport showing that it is in fact her boarding the flight and her passport is stamped for her arrival in Russia."

"Okay so what about the letter?"

"The letter is about a mission that Queen Tatiana had sent Rose to accomplish while she was away. The queen apparently felt her life might be in danger and sent Rose to accomplish this task so her proclaimed successor could rightfully take the throne." He explained. "The letter is written clearly in her handwriting and names the person she wished to take the throne after her. The letter names Vasilisa Dragomir to assume the throne." Shocked gasps filled the room and I smiled slightly.

"She is the last in her line so she cannot take the throne without at least one family member."

"Again not true. The errand the Queen sent Rose to accomplish was to find the illigitamate child of Eric Dragomir. Vasilisa has a younger half-sister." Abe said and more gasps filled the room. "DNA confirms that we have found her and she will be introduced shortly." I looked over at Lissa who had paled even more than usual.

"Okay, If Rose is so innocent then where is she?" Abe smirked at the Moroi.

"You will know in time. First, back to the murder of our dear Queen. Rose wasn't the last to visit her on that day. Tatiana gave Rose the name of the last person that would see her that day. The person who was the last to see Tatiana alive was…Natasha Ozera." I looked straight at Tasha and she continued to pale. Guardians started to approach her but she grabbed Mia, pointing a gun at her head. The guardians froze and I stood. I walked towards Tasha and held my hands up.

"Tasha you don't want to do that. It won't help you get out of this." She looked at me confused and I forgot I hadn't taken off my ring. I slipped it off and her eyes widened. "I don't understand why you would kill Tatiana in the first place, but why frame me for it?" I asked and she laughed.

"Why? Because Rose. I want Dimitri and as long as you live and breathe, he will want you instead of me. I killed Tatiana because she was a tyrannical bitch. One that would have us Moroi hide behind guardians for the rest of our lives, never giving in to letting us attempt to defend ourselves. It was way too easy to frame you for it. I like you Rose but I needed someone to take the fall and you were perfect for it. If you hadn't skipped the country so quickly, you would be tried and convicted of murder and I would finally have Dimitri to myself."

"So now what Tasha? You take Mia hostage in front of a group of guardians at a council meeting and still expect to have him? Let Mia go, she has nothing to do with this." I said.

"How about a trade Rose? Little Mia here will go free and you take her place." Tasha said. Dammit. I sighed.

"Fine Tasha." I said and approached her. As I got closer, I looked at Mia. "Fast and far Mia." She nodded as best she could and Tasha grabbed for me as Mia ran from her grip. Before she could wrap around me and get the gun in place I attacked her. We fell to the ground fighting over the gun in her hands. Tasha and I scrambled on the ground for a few minutes and the Tasha heated the gun with her magic, like Christian had done to the guys in Spokane. I had a good grip on the gun as it heated up and glowed red. I screamed out in pain and let go of the gun. She pushed me off her and fired the gun at me. The world stopped as I felt the blood draining from me. The guardians quickly tackled her and got the gun out of her reach. I fell to my knees and held my good hand to the wound. Dimitri was at my side in an instant, lying me down on the ground to put pressure on the wound and everything went dark.

Lissa POV

Adrian had told all of us there was something we needed to see and as Abe presented evidence of Rose's innocence I was cheering inside. The shocking thing was that I found I had a half-sister and that Tasha was the real murderer. Tasha grabbed Mia and held her at gunpoint in what could only be described as desperation. An unknown woman came to try and talk her down. She took off the ring on her hand and I was shocked to see that it was Rose. She traded herself for Mia and they fought over the gun. I was startled a little when Rose screamed in pain and clutched her hand that had gripped the gun. I then noticed the red angry burn covering her palm and I knew what happened. Before I could think it through any farther, Rose was pushed off Tasha and a gunshot rang out. Everyone froze for a brief second and I looked closely at Rose. She had been shot in the chest. I rushed over to her, but Dimitri was closer to her and beat me there. I placed my hands on her and I could feel her fading fast. I concentrated as hard as I could, giving in to the magic I possessed and gave it all to her that I could manage. I don't know whether it worked because I was soon surrounded by darkness.

**So tell me what ya think? R&R please.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 2

Rose POV

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I groaned as I heard what I thought was one of my evil alarm clocks and I rolled in the bed slightly to turn it off. I felt a cold metal rail on the edge of the bed and reached past it. Wait a minute, I don't have rails on my bed. I slowly opened my eyes and realized where I was. Crap. How in the hell did I wind up in a freaking hospital? I felt fine, so what was the deal here? I rolled back over onto my back and sat up slightly when a pair of hands pushed me back down and I met the deep brown eyes of my Dimitri. I was confused now even more. Was I dreaming or something? He said his love had faded, so why was he here at my bedside in the court's clinic. Wait, that's right. I was back at court when Abe revealed the last person to see Tatiana alive and Tasha shot me in the chest. So how was I alive right now? Lissa. She must have healed me because I had no more wounds or anything. The ugly burn I received on my hand was gone and so was the gunshot. I finally realized that Dimitri was staring at me in concern as I was battling with my inner monolog. I looked up at him.

"Not to sound like a total bitch, but why are you here?" I asked and his face fell a little. And how long have I been out?"

"Roza, I lied to you. I still love you and I just didn't want you close to me for fear that I would hurt you again like I did when I was strigoi." He said. I could see the sadness and guilt in his eyes, but I could also see that he was telling me the truth. "And you have been out for a couple of days. Lissa just woke up yesterday." Wow, no wonder I felt restless lying here.

"Dimitri, pushing me away hurt me a lot more than anything you ever did as a Strigoi. I understand that you carry the guilt for the thing you did during that time, but your soul wasn't in charge of your body at that point and there is nothing to forgive for what you did during that time. It wasn't you. Yes it was your body, but it was controlled by the Strigoi, not you." I said. "I forgive you for pushing me away, but it will take some time to trust you again for it. I have always love you Dimitri and that will never change, but it will take some time for us to move on from this." He smiled slightly but I could see the pain of my rejection in his eyes. I gripped his hand and smiled slightly just as Lissa came into the room with Eddie, Mia, Christian and Adrian. I felt immediate guilt for what I did to Adrian. I essentially used him for my own gain and I saw the pain in his eyes as well. Lissa hugged me tightly and pulled away talking frantically.

"Oh Rose I was so scared that we had lost you. I wasn't sure that healing you like that would work a second time, but I'm glad that it did." Lissa said and I smiled at her.

"I know and thanks Liss." I turned to Adrian. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He smiled sadly at me.

"Of course Little Damphir." He said and smiled a little wider. The others in the room filed out and Adrian took the seat that Dimitri had vacated. There was an awkward silence for a minute and I look at him.

"Adrian, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to love you like you wanted. I do love you and you have a special place in my heart, but it's not the type of love that you have for me." I said and he smiled sadly but he seemed okay with it. "I love Dimitri but it will take some time for me to trust him with my heart again." I added.

"It's okay Rose, I knew that you didn't love me like that and it was wrong of me to force that on you. I do love you Rose, but I think that my love for you may have changed in the last several days. You were right Rose. There is someone out there for me and I think I might have found her." I quirked my eyebrows upward in question and he smirked lightly and there was a knock on the door before Abe came in with Sydney. Adrian's eyes went wide and he smiled that breathtaking smile of his and Sydney blushed a little. Oh my God! Sydney has fallen for Adrian? Now that was totally unexpected, but I was glad to see that they were both happy. Abe came to my side and Adrian went over to talk with Sydney. I smiled at the pair for a minute and turned to Abe.

"So I guess that I'm cleared now?" I asked and he smiled widely and nodded.

"Yes Rosemarie, you have been cleared of all charges and you status as a guardian has been reinstated. Hans was very impressed with your actions with Tasha and you have been assigned as Vasilisa's guardian." My eyes widened at his words and I smile in spite of myself. With my track record, I had almost given up on being Lissa's guardian.

"What about the council and Jill?" I asked.

"Jill had been accepted by the council as Vasilisa's half-sister. Vasilisa will be appointed queen as per Tatiana's request in the letter and you are her head guardian. Jill will receive a guardian also. She will stay at court mostly, but has to return to the academy when classes start again." He said and I smiled at the idea of thing finally falling into place. "I see that Vasilisa succeeded in healing you. I'm glad because when Tasha shot you, I thought I had lost my only daughter." He said with a pained expression.

"Come on dad, you know I'm too stubborn to die right?" I said and he laughed a little bit at that.

"Yes I'm starting to see that. You are strong like your mother." I scoffed a little at that.

"I did get other things from you besides this wicked cool hair you know?" I said and he laughed for a minute but his face turned to a serious expression.

"Janine wants to see you if you're up to it. I know that you too clash quite often, but give her a chance." He said and I nodded but internally I groaned. Adrian hugged me goodbye and so did Sydney and Abe. About a minute after they left, Janine knocked on the door and slipped in silently. She had an odd expression on her face that I had never seen before and her guardian mask faltered a bit. I caught a glimpse of the emotion in her eyes. Sadness, regret, and guilt, but there was also something else there when she looked at me, pride. Wait, she was proud of me? She sat in the chair next to my bed and sighed heavily. I could see that this was hard for her. She looked up at me and I saw small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Janine never cried so what's up.

"Rose, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you throughout your life. I regret not being the mother that you needed me to be. If I had been there for you, then you might not have had to go through so much pain in your life. I'm proud of you Rose for what you have accomplished. I still haven't been the best mother to you, but I really would like the opportunity to be that mother you need me to be." She said and I was shocked but also happy that she had realized what I had wanted all along. Dimitri was right and I was more like my mother than I had ever realized. All the anger and resentment I had for her lessened at that moment and I smiled at her.

"I would like that Mom. I know that it won't be easy for either of us, but if you are willing to try then so am I." I said and a genuine smile lit up her face. Her mask was gone for a few minutes and she hugged me with traitor tears in her eyes. We were silent for a few moments and then I smirked lightly at her. "So when can I get out of this damn bed and go home?" I asked finally and she laughed.

"I'll go see the doctor and since you don't have any injuries, I guess it will be soon." She said and stood. She left the room to go and find the doctor. I was finally released to go home and after I dressed in the clothes that Lissa had brought over for me, I walked out and was met by the faces of all of my friends. Mia was the first to reach me this time and she clung to me hard. I knew that the events several days ago had shaken her almost as much as Spokane had. Having a gun held to her head was a traumatizing experience of course and seeing me shot was icing on the cake. She finally released me and we all walked out of the court's clinic. Before we reached Lissa's apartment though, someone called out to me.

"Guardian Rose Hathaway." The person said and I turned to find Guardian Croft addressing me for the first time by my formal title. I smiled at the thought and addressed him.

"Guardian Croft, what can I do for you?" I said politely and he looked a little shocked at that. Hey, I could be polite sometimes.

"I assume that Mr. Mazur has told you about your guardian appointment?" He asked and I nodded curtly. "I would like to talk to you privately for a special assignment at your earliest convenience. I think you might be just the guardian needed for this assignment and wanted to hear your thoughts. I know that this special assignment is a little sudden, but I wanted to ensure that it wouldn't interfere with Vasilisa appointment as Queen and your guardianship to her." He said and I was stunned.

"Of course Guardian Croft. I will meet you in your office this afternoon if that is okay with you?" I said and he agreed. We made our way to Lissa's apartment and I sank into the couch with Dimitri on one side of me and Lissa on the other. Everything was finally coming together for us. Dimitri and I weren't exactly a couple because I was determined to have him earn my trust again, but we were getting there. Lissa would be Queen and I was to be her guardian. I stayed there, talking to my friends and family until it was time for me to go and meet with Guardian Croft. I grabbed some of my guardian clothing from where Lissa had brought my stuff from my old apartment to hers and I showered and changed quickly. I walked the short distance to the middle of court where Croft's office was located and I knocked on his office door. He said to come in and I slipped through the door and silently took a seat as he was finishing some paperwork at his desk. When he was finished, he looked up at me and smiled professionally and explained his assignment he had for me.

"I'll get right to it Rose, Victor Dashkov has been spotted in the area around court." He said and I was shocked at this revelation. I heard Lissa screaming in my head and I held up a hand to stop Hans for a minute. I put up my blocks so that she couldn't hear the rest of the conversations and asked Hans to continue. "He has been turned Strigoi along with his brother Robert. I wanted you to take a team and take them out. They have been located at an old warehouse close to here and we believe that they will try to round up numbers in order to attack court." He said and I nodded again. I really didn't know what to say about all of this but I finally found my voice.

"I'll do it Guardian Croft, but I want to know who will be accompanying me on this mission." I said.

"Guardians Castile, Tanner and Belikov will be accompanying you along with Janine Hathaway. I know that Janine is older and the others have slightly more field experience, but I'm giving you the lead on this since you have dealt with Dashkov before. Dimitri will be given back his full guardianship if you all can manage to solve this little problem." Croft finished and I was speechless. Croft gave me all the details of the mission and I left his office headed back to Lissa's. I knew that she would be furious at the idea of me going after Victor but I needed to do this for Lissa's safety. I wondered how she was able to see what I was discussing with Hans and how I had heard her in my head. The more I thought about it, it must have been when she healed me the second time. I was just about to open the door to Lissa's when it swung open and I was met with Lissa's angry jade eyes staring at me.

"What are you thinking Rose? Going after Dashkov, why Rose?" Lissa raged and everyone in the room was now aware of my presence and the main part of my new mission.

"Liss, sit down and I will explain everything. Eddie, Dimitri, Mom, you all need to hear this too since Hans asked for you three plus Mikhail to be on the team." They nodded and everyone sat down and looked at me expectantly. I sighed hard and began, telling them exactly what Hans had told me. They were all wide eyed and speechless at these revelations and when I finished, they were still sitting in shocked silence. Tomorrow, the team and I would leave court and go after Victor and his brother. Lissa was stunned but I still felt her fear.

The following day we left court as planned with our team and a few extra guardians. Lissa wasn't really happy with the idea but finally agreed that I was better than Victor making it to court and coming after her. We took two of the court's SUVs and drove to the warehouse location, parking far enough away to avoid detection and activated our comms. As we got closer to the warehouse, I felt overwhelming nausea and was for the first time able to predict numbers of Strigoi present. There were about twenty here inside the warehouse and I passed the information to the rest of the team. We moved in and managed to catch the Strigoi by surprise. After the initial surprise the Strigoi lunged at us and we staked them left and right. I moved through the warehouse with my team and searched the rooms carefully for Victor and his brother. Every team member was fighting Strigoi and I moved forward as they finished up. I caught the sounds of something in the last room and I opened the door carefully and sitting behind a thick desk was Victor. As I stepped in the room, there was an impact to the back of my head and darkness took me quickly, but not before I caught sight of Robert and Victor hovering over me with cruel smiles.

Dimitri POV

We made our way through the warehouse and we staked Strigoi like there was no tomorrow. Roza stayed within sight until the last group we were fighting. I knew that Roza was a hell of a fighter but I still worried about her doing things like this alone. We finished off the Strigoi quickly and I followed the direction Roza had gone. When I entered the room, there was nothing but some smudges of blood on the floor and a note lying on the floor. I picked it up and opened it, fearful of what it might say. The rest of the team joined me in the room now and I opened the letter.

_Say goodbye to the Rosemarie you know. She will be one of us soon and we will come for you next. Don't worry, you will see her soon._

_-VD_

My heart broke as I read the short letter and I could feel hot tears burn in the corners of my eyes. The others who had read the letter weren't fairing any better and we called for the alchemists and collected any information we could find on their next location. We went back to court with heavy hearts and I wondered how I would tell Lissa, if she didn't already know. Wait, now that the bond was two ways, Lissa might be able to help us find her. Fueled by that little ounce of hope, I went to find Lissa and the others.

Lissa POV

I was really nervous waiting for any news on the mission. They had only been gone for about an hour and a half when I was no longer looking at my living room. I was in Rose's head and she was looking into the eyes of Victor the Strigoi. She went to lunge at him but was struck from behind and just before she blacked out, I saw Victor and Robert starring down at her. I was crying by the time I pulled out of her head and the others looked at me in concern. Christian hugged me tightly and asked me what was wrong.

"Victor and Robert have taken Rose." I said and everyone's faces fell. Abe looked like a mixture of murderous and sadness while the others looked saddened.

We didn't talk much after that and several hours later, the others came back with pained expressions and Dimitri started to say something but I cut him off.

"I already know Dimitri and we will get her back." He handed me the letter and I read it. Tears spilled from my eyes without my approval and I read the letter aloud to the others. Their expressions mirrored my own. I was now more determined to use the bond to get her back.

Rose POV

I woke up groggily and started to search my surroundings. I looked to be in a basement. Concrete surrounded me and there was only a tiny window at ground level, letting in only a small stream of indirect sunlight. I tried to move my hands and feet but they were bound in ugly metal cuffs. I tried to come up with a plan for escape but came up with nothing. Being bound definitely cut into my escape possibilities. There was a creaking noise that sounded in the small basement and I turned my head towards the door to see Victor and Robert enter with sick smiles. I hated these two and wanted them to burn in the worst possible way. Victor strolled up to me like he was taking a walk in the park. He eyed me and smiled.

"Well Rosemarie, it seems that there is no way for you to get out of this one is there?" He laughed and Robert joined him. "I shall enjoy turning you and sending you to court for Vaslilsa. You will make a fine Strigoi and you will be leading the others in my little army to victory." He said and I smirked.

"If you turn me Victor, you will be the first to die." I said. His smile fell and he slapped me across my face. Pain blossomed in my head as it bounced off the concrete behind me and I couldn't help but release a small whimper of pain. He smiled again, detecting my weakness and pulled my head roughly to the side. He sank his fangs into my neck and drank from me. He pulled back after taking more than he should have and smiled at me.

"I think I will let you learn some manners before I turn you, but I have some friends who would like to see you suffer." He said and another Strigoi came into the room. I didn't know his name but I recognized him as one of the Strigoi that I met in Russia while searching for Dimitri. He gave a cruel smile and came up to me. I was still a little high from the endorphins so it took me some time to notice that he was unchaining me. Robert and Victor left as the Strigoi dragged me across the room. I was a little uncoordinated but I thought that it was now or never as I saw his intended destination. There was a bed in the corner of the room. There was no way in hell I would ever do anything like that and I struck out as hard as my balance would let me. I swung the heavy chains on my hands as hard as I could, catching him in the side of his head. The adrenaline was burning off the endorphins and I was able to send another hit quickly. I wasn't sure if I would make it out of this alive, but I was damn sure trying. After I got him down for the count, I went to the small window. It was daylight and if I could get out through there I would have a good head start before the Strigoi could follow. I wrapped one of the chains around my fist and sent it through the widow quickly. The chain gave the punch a little more force and the window shattered. There wasn't a lot of room to crawl through but it was my only option. I wiggled through the small space, wincing in pain as the class cut my flesh.

My hips were through the small opening when a cold had grabbed my legs and tried to pull me back inside. He finally succeeded in pulling me back only to be burned by the sunlight and cried out as a large shard of glass was forced into my upper thigh and reminants of the window scraped across my stomach and back. I began again through the window and finally made it to the solid ground just a foot or so below the window. I stood shakily and limped as quickly as I could away from the old house. I heard the sounds of a main road several hundred yards away and went towards the sounds. Luckily, I managed to come out of the woods near a small gas station and there was an attendant taking out the trash. I approached the woman and asked to use her phone. She turned and shock registered on her face at my appearance and I hadn't thought about it, but I knew I looked like hell. She handed over her cell quickly and I called Abe. He answered after only one ring.

"Mazur."

"Dad, I need you to come and get me now. I escaped but they'll follow pretty quickly after it gets dark." I explained and it sounded like he was running somewhere.

"Where are you Rose?" He asked and I could hear him starting the car. I gave him my location and the attendant looked at me in concern as I hung up. I went through the store and found some bandages and other items to clean and dress my wounds. I told the girl that I would pay for everything when my ride got here. Several minutes later, I was in the bathroom tending my wounds when Abe burst into the bathroom. His expression changed from frantic to concern as he took in my appearance. He hugged me carefully and led me out of the bathroom after helping me to clean the blood from the bite on my neck. He didn't ask any questions and I was grateful for that. I told him to give the woman the money for the supplies I used and he handed her a hundred dollar bill and we left without another word. I eased my way into the car carefully and I fell asleep almost immediately in the car.

Abe POV**(AN: He sounds like the coolest dad ever right? Love this character.)**

We did everything that we could to find Rosemarie and it wasn't enough. Lissa swore that she wasn't Strigoi and I believed her, but our time was running out and we knew it. I had just left Lissa's to go and see if Janine had any luck with some of the other guardians who were looking for her when my phone rang from an unfamiliar number. I answered it quickly.

"Mazur." I answered and I heard the most unexpected voice on the other end of the line.

"Dad, I need you to come and get me now. I escaped but they'll follow pretty quickly after it gets dark." Rose explained and I was already running towards the car with Pavel and Sergei.

"Where are you Rose?" I asked her as I started the car and she gave me the location. I drove full speed out of court towards my daughter's location and part of me had 100 questions for her, but the other part of me was just thankful that she was okay and had escaped. I didn't know what condition we would find her in but my Rose was a fighter just like me and her mother. I felt guilty for missing 18 years of her life and I stayed close to her now as part of my penance. I loved Rose very much and vowed to myself that I would help her in any way possible for the rest of my life. I wanted to be the father that I wasn't for the first years of her life. I made it to the location she gave me and Pavel and Sergei flanked me as I entered the station. A young woman behind the counter directed me to the bathroom in the back where Rose was and I burst through the door.

The sight of her broke my heart as I looked at her. She was cut and scraped everywhere but there were several more serious injuries. I helped her clean the blood off her and ushered her from the store. She told me to pay the attendant for the supplies she used to patch herself up and I pulled a bill out without even looking at it and gave it to the woman. Rose eased carefully into the front seat and we headed back to court. She drifted off to sleep quickly and I smiled at that. I could tell that whatever she went through she had fought hard and exhaustion was apparent on her face. As I pulled into court, I drove across the grounds straight to the clinic and I carefully carried her inside.

She groaned a little from the pain and I cringed a little at the thought of causing my daughter any pain. The doctor went straight to work on her injuries and there were two that made me almost growl. The angry handprint across her face was almost black but the bite on her neck was even worse. The doctor told me that she was almost drained and the bleeding from her other injuries made it necessary for her to have blood. The doctor said that he honestly had no idea how she was able to walk away from that with the injuries she had. After the doctor was finished with her, I let her rest there at the clinic and went to find Janine and the others. I didn't know if anyone had been made aware that she was safe yet so I made my way over to Lissa's where all the others were fortunately waiting for any news. I gathered them all in the living room, telling them I had news about Rose and they quickly sat down and looked at me expectantly. I took a deep breath and began to tell them about Rose.

"Rose called me several hours ago, saying she escaped and needed a ride back to court. She was injured and is at the clinic right now resting and getting a blood transfusion." I said and they all sat there shocked at my words. We all went down to the clinic and I went to ask the doctor about her condition.

"She is much better now that her blood count is back up. She has some wounds that will take longer to heal but she will be good as new in several days if Vasilisa doesn't heal her first." The doctor said and smiled. I asked if she was up for visitors and he agreed if she was awake she could have visitors. I walked back to the group and explained what the doctor had said. I could tell that Lissa and Dimitri were anxious to see her, but they agreed to let me go first to see if she was awake and up for visitors. Rose was awake when I entered the room and she smiled at me a little. I asked her if she was up for visitors and she agreed, letting Lissa and Dimitri in first. I left the room and let them have their time while I talked briefly with Janine. I had a feeling that Victor's failed attempt to keep her and turn her signaled that he would likely try again and I'm sure that he wouldn't wait if he got her again.

Rose POV

After two days in the clinic I was discharged. I went to Lissa's where she had set up my stuff in one of her extra rooms. After a few hours of talking, the question was raised at how I had escaped and I cringed a little at the memory of what could have happened. I sighed hard and Dimitri placed a comforting hand on my thigh and I winced slightly at the pain because that was where the large shard of glass had stabbed into me. He apologized profusely but I waved him off and told my story of my escape.

"I woke up chained to the concrete wall and I was in a small basement with only a small window. Victor and Robert came in and taunted me, saying they were going to turn me. I told Victor if he did that then he would be the first to die. He slapped me hard across the face and then he drank from me. Another Strigoi that I came across in Russia came in while I was still dazed and Victor and Robert left. The Strigoi unchained me but I was dazed until I realized where he was leading me." I paused for a minute because this was the hardest part to come to terms with. "He was leading me to a small bed in the corner and I knew what he wanted to do. I snapped out of the haze then and used the chains to hit him, knocking him out. I wrapped the chain around my fist, punched the window and started to climb out. The Strigoi came to and pulled me back into the room, but when I was no longer blocking the window, the sunlight came in and he burned to ash. The Strigoi pulling me back in is where I got most of the injuries and I climbed out the window on my second try. I made it to the gas station where I called Abe." I finished and they were all sitting there with shocked expressions for a minute but they were all glad I made it out, especially before anything happened with the Strigoi. After what seemed like years apart, I fell asleep that night in the arms of my Russian God.

**Okay i was not really planning on continueing this but i had one person who loved it and reviewed, so thank you. If anyone want this story to continue i need you guys to tell me. I also would like to know what kinds of twists i could add to this so i need so ideas from you guys. If you dont review, i don't know if there are things i can do to make it better so please R&R. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 3

Rose POV

I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and I looked at myself and realized why. Lissa must have slipped in sometime while I was asleep and healed me. I was glad in a way because it made me feel as good as new but I worried about the darkness since we were still bonded but when she brought me back a second time, it was unchartered territory and I worried for Lissa's mental health and mine. I stretched and noticed that Dimitri wasn't lying beside me. I showered quickly and dressed for the day and headed downstairs. Lissa and Christian were in the kitchen with Dimitri and I smiled as I noticed that Dimitri was making breakfast alongside Christian. Lissa was sitting at the table and was the first to notice that I had entered the room. She smiled widely at me and I did the same for her.

"Hey Rose, how are you feeling?" Lissa asked and I rolled my eyes.

"As if you don't already know Liss? Some magic healer came into my room last night and healed me so I feel just fine." I stated and she smiled. Dimitri stopped what he was doing and came over to me, wrapping me in his strong arms and kissed my lips lightly.

"Good morning Roza. Did you sleep well?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yep." I said popping the p. "So what do we have on the agenda for today?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well I thought that we could just hang around here today, but Hans wants to see you sometime today when you feel up to it." Lissa said and I nodded. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. I was surprised to see mom and dad standing there together and they smiled and both hugged me tightly. Just as I was about to close the door, I noticed that the others were heading towards us. I smiled widely when I saw Adrian coming down the hall with Sydney. I hugged them both tightly and I smiled at Sydney.

"So Sydney, does this mean that you are over your fear of us 'evil creatures of the night'?" I asked and she smiled.

"Nope, you and Adrian are alright but I reserve judgment on the rest of you." She said and Abe smirked.

"What about me Sydney?" Abe asked and she paled a little. I punched him playfully in the arm and smiled a little.

"Alright Old Man, let's not scare our poor little alchemist anymore than you have already. Lay off her." I said and Sydney sent me a grateful smile and so did Adrian. We all sat down to breakfast together and the whole gang was here. Conversation flowed freely around the table and we were all happy for once. It didn't last too long as Dimitri asked the question that I had been dreading for days.

"So Roza, I have a question. What business did you have in Russia while you were gone?" Dimitri asked. I sighed. I knew that this question would come sooner or later but I was kind of hoping it was much later.

"Well Dimitri, I went to see your family and I let them know that you were no longer strigoi." I said and his face fell a little. "I told them that you were a Damphir again."

"How did they take it?" He asked.

"They didn't really believe me at first, and Victoria probably still doesn't, but Yeva of course already knew." I said and he smiled a little at that. "They really want to see you Dimitri."

"I know Roza, but I just can't right now. They just gave me back my guardianship and I'm still dealing with things." He said.

"I understand Dimitri, but they will love you no matter what and they miss you. Please think about going to see them soon. You know just as I do how guardians aren't guaranteed another day so please consider it sooner rather than later." I said and he nodded slightly. I hated to put it to him that way but I felt that was the only way that I could get him to push forward with the idea.

"Vika didn't see Rolan again did she Rosemarie?" Abe said with a smirk and I almost growled at him. Dimitri turned to me with the question written all over his features. I sighed and glared at Abe.

"No she didn't thank god and I got chewed out for that too until Sonya explained that Rolan was her child's father." I said and explained to Dimitri the scene that played out when I went there the first time to search for him. He was grateful of course that Vika was stopped from doing something that could end her hopes of being a guardian like she wanted.

When we finished up with breakfast I went over to the guardian office to speak with Hans. I wasn't sure what he wanted to speak to me about, but I'm sure that it had something to do with Victor and Robert getting away from us. I knocked on the door of his office and I heard him give me the okay to enter. I slipped into the office silently as he was finishing some paperwork on his desk and I waited as patiently as I knew how. Minutes later he looked up from his work and motioned for me to take a seat. I did as he instructed and he looked up at me.

"Guardian Hathaway, I understand that the mission I assigned you and your team did not go quite as planned, but we did manage to destroy the Strigoi that Victor and Robert had accompanying them. Our surveillance has revealed that they are still in the area and since you seem to be enemy number one to them, I fear that it may be necessary to remove you from this particular assignment." Hans said.

"Guardian Croft, no one knows Victor and his brother like I do in this case. Yes they are set on trying to capture and turn me, but I feel that sending someone else puts that many more people in danger." I said and I could see that he was processing my words. "Look, they will try to come after me no matter who we send out there. If we someone out there besides myself, chances are we would lose them and eventually me. We need to come up with a way to finish this once and for all and kill the both of them." I finished and he sighed heavily.

"Okay Hathaway, you will take your team again to one the location that we have tracked them to. This time, stay close to the others in your team but you still have the lead. I hope for everyone's sake that you and your team succeed in this because if you fail, Victor will most likely turn you Strigoi." I nodded and I was dismissed from his office after giving me the details of where they have spotted Victor. I thought through all of the things that had happened since I had left court and the things with Victor seemed to be the worst. Never until right now had I been fearful of being turned striogi by that crazed lunatic. It was not anything new that Strigoi were constantly trying to kill me and I could live with that end, hell it was part of the job and protecting Lissa, but the threat of being 'awakened' was something that had never really crossed my mind until the Strigoi Victor and Robert came into the picture.

I recalled the feelings that I had when I was captured in Russia by the Strigoi Dimitri. Sure it was tempting to spend an eternity with the one that I loved wholeheartedly, but he only wanted me as a possession. There was no love in his actions and desires at that point which what really turned me off of the idea in the first place, aside from the fact I would never be able to see Liss again without wanting her blood and I couldn't fathom that at all.

Victor and Robert had moved their location from the house that they had held me to another warehouse close by and I thought that was a little strange. If I were victor (and thank the good lord I wasn't) I wouldn't keep so close to where I was last detected and it seemed like this was a trap. I was sure that he was just waiting for us to walk into that building and then like a predator after his prey, he would pounce. I sighed and shook all the thoughts out of my head and walked back to Lissa's. Just as I was about to walk into the building that housed her suite, I started to feel the Strigoi nausea and I thought enough to send Liss a quick message in my mind, telling her to alert the guardians since I was off duty and didn't have a comm. I tried to concentrate and get a number but I wasn't able to as the Strigoi had already broken the wards and one managed a solid hit to my right shoulder. I was knocked to the ground hard but I recovered quickly as the Strigoi lunged at me again. I had about three on the ground before the court guardians came to assist me and I was grateful for that because I was starting to feel the fatigue of the fight. I staked the Strigoi in front of me and a familiar face caught my eye near the ward lines. Victor stood there with the usual evil Strigoi smirk and I charged towards him, adrenaline fueling my anger. I knew I was making a novice mistake by going to him instead of letting him make the first move, but I didn't care at that point and I wanted this all to end. Victor turned and ran away from the wards and like an idiot I followed, again fuelled by my anger instead of clear thinking.

He didn't run far from the court and turned with a cruel smile as two Strigoi came at me from the sides and held my arms. In my anger driven mind I had given Victor exactly what he wanted. I followed him to a place of his choosing and was so focused on him that I neglected to take in those around me. I struggled in the Strigoi's grip but to no avail. For all practical purposes three to one and I was alone in this and I had no one to blame but myself.

Lissa POV

We were all at my apartment waiting for Rose to return from Guardian Croft's office and we were all of course worried about what he might have wanted to know or what new assignment he had entrusted her with. Rose was of course the best guardian we had here at court and they recognized that by allowing her to be my guardian. I worried about her when Hans sent her and other guardians on missions lately and the last one turned out badly for Rose as well. We were talking about various things when I heard Rose sending me a message to alert the guardians that the wards were down and there were Strigoi at court. My eyes widened and I told Dimitri and Eddie who of course ran out to help Rose. I called Guardian Croft and waited nervously for any news on the situation. I curled next to Christian and he comforted me as I realized that there was a Moroi missing from the room. Suddenly I was pulled into Rose's head and the scene before me/her made my heart clench. She/I was starring into the eyes of Victor Dashkov.

Rose POV

I was in deep shit and I knew it. The Strigoi on either side of me held my arms tightly and the more I struggled, the tighter their grip got. Victor leered menacingly and I caught movement behind him as Robert came into view from the trees.

"Ah Rosemarie, I thought that this would be much more difficult after your last escape from us, however you have come rather willingly it seems." Victor smiled in his usually cruel way. Robert mirrored his expression almost immediately. I could still hear the fighting going on just inside the court ground as victor pulled at my hair roughly. I struggled of course, but to no avail and his fangs sought out my neck. I cried out briefly as he sank into my flesh and the euphoria of the bite began to take over. I felt the high of the bite, but I also felt the literal drain of my body and he pulled away. He bit into his wrist and moved it towards my mouth. This was it. The death of my career as a guardian, death of my friendships and all human emotion were going to die in mere minutes. I closed my eyes and kept my mouth shut, hoping that this was all a cruel dream. I would wake up soon, safe in my bed with Dimitri by my side like I always imagined.

Abe POV **(AN: Again, absolutely love this character. Mob boss turned father? Love it.)**

I heard Lissa say that the wards were broken and I feared for my daughter as any parent would. Lissa hadn't left the suite all day so I knew that the information she had was coming from Rosemarie. In the chaos, I managed to slip out without anyone knowing. Sure I could bully my way out with threats and the like, but that would take a little time to do. Time that I didn't think my daughter would have if Victor got his clutches on her. I watched the fighting closely and I failed to see Rose there. My enhanced hearing pinpointed something away from the fight and I slipped outside the ward lines with Pavel and Sergei. I held my hand up to keep them silent behind me as I caught sight of Rose being restrained by two Strigoi. There were two more in front of her that I recognized must have been victor and Robert. My poor Rose looked worn and fatigued and I assumed that Victor had already fed from her. I felt that if the Strigoi weren't holding her, she would be on the ground at that moment and I saw Victor put his wrist to his mouth, biting it and moving towards my daughter and I saw red in that moment. Rose struggled with what energy she had left and he moved closer to her.

I was furious and sent fire towards Victor and his brother. The Strigoi that held Rose turned towards us and Pavel and Sergei engaged them. I of course ran towards Rose as Victor and Robert burned to ashes. I felt for her pulse and it was very, very weak, but it was there. Pavel and Sergei had finished off the other two and we ran as fast as we could towards the clinic on the court grounds. I wasn't surprised that Lissa was there healing some of the guardians that were injured and so was Adrian. They were however, surprised to see Rose and her unconscious stated as she was cradled in my arms. One of the nurses set up for a blood transfusion immediately and went to work on Rose, taking her from me and lying her on the cot in one of the rooms. They hooked up a heart monitor and there was a faint, but steady beat and I was only slightly relieved at this. The nurse ushered me out to the waiting room and I paced like a mad man. Janine came in moments later, after staging the cleanup of the attack and replacing the wards. She was no better off that I was and all of Rose's friends sat there in the waiting room with worried expressions.

Finally after what seemed like years of waiting, the doctor came towards us with a relieved smile and told us that she would be fine. We all let out a breath that none of us realized we were holding and I sent a silent thank you to god that my only daughter was not only alive, but safe from Victor and his insane brother Robert. Reluctantly, we all went back to our rooms with the exception of Dimitri. I knew that he loved my daughter very much and while I was angry with him for the anguish he had put her through by pushing her away, I saw his genuine concern for her and his regret from his actions. I posted Pavel here at the clinic to keep me updated and walked back towards the guest housing with Janine and Sergei.

Rose POV **(AN: get the tissues ready. You just might need them.)**

I remembered closing my eyes and being ready to wake up from the horrible dream I was surely experiencing. I was suddenly falling to the ground and with all of my energy spent, I drifted into unconsciousness. I was in complete darkness and I was suddenly thrust into a bright light. I opened my eyes to see that I was in a sunny meadow. Flowers of every kind bloomed in an array of colors and I was taken with the beauty of this place.

"Am I in heaven?" I muttered to no one. I was surprised when I heard a chuckle. I turned and was met by a very familiar face, one I never thought that I would see again.

"Mase?" I asked in disbelief and he nodded, giving me the lopsided smile that I missed so much since his death. "Wait, Mase…am I dead?" I asked and he shook his head.

"No Rosie, you're not dead, but you are close to it. Rose you need to be much more careful. You are letting your anger cloud your instincts and if it hadn't been for your father tonight, you would be Strigoi. I don't want to see that happen to you so I pulled a few strings and I was allowed to give you a little friendly advice." He said and I couldn't contain myself any longer. I rushed towards him and flung myself at him, causing us both to fall towards the ground. He and I both laughed loudly and his laugh wrapped around me. I wanted so much for him to be alive and with me, Eddie and the rest of our little group.

"So if I'm not dead, that means that I'll be leaving soon right?" He nodded and tears formed in my eyes. I didn't necessarily want to stay here, but I missed him so much and wanted more time with him. "I miss you so much Mase. Eddie misses you and I'm sorry that I couldn't save you from being killed. I never wanted you to suffer because of me." I sobbed into him and he hugged me close to him.

"Rosie, listen to me. I never blamed you for what happened and I know that your feelings for me were not what I pretended them to be. I know that you love Belikov and he is good for you. I am at peace Rose and you need to find peace with the past and leave it behind you. Follow your instincts and follow your heart Rosie." He is so lucky that he was the only one I ever let call me Rosie. He kissed my forehead lightly and smiled that lopsided smile I loved so much. "Rose I have to send you back now but I will always be watching out for you and I'll always be here." He said placing a hand over my heart and tears stung my eyes again. For the second time in my life, I lost Mason as he vanished from view and I was in darkness again.

Dimitri POV

The doctor had finally allowed me to see my Roza and I walked into her room, sitting close to her bed and took her hand in mine. Several hours after, I dozed off but was awakened by the sound of Roza's voice mumbling something like she was in a very vivid dream. She smiled and I heard her mumbling again. "Mase." She would keep repeating but she was still unconscious. Shortly after I heard her sobbing and I looked up to see that she had tears streaming down her face. I knew that she still felt guilt from the death of Mason and no matter how many times she was told by others that it wasn't her fault, she believed that it was. I knew that boy liked her and Roza and I were both so confused with our feelings at the time that we made decisions that we never would have made otherwise. While Roza did tell him about the Strigoi, it was ultimately up to Mason what he did with the information and that was his fault, not hers. If he hadn't come back for Roza she would have been killed and it was the same with Mia's actions. Everyone made choices that day and Mason was like the others, a victim of the choices they made.

I must have dozed again because I opened my eyes to meet the brown eyes of my Roza. She smiled slightly but she was still weak from the blood loss and they gave her a little more blood. As the Moroi day began, more of our friends came around throughout the day to see her and she was finally released to go home late that evening. Her mother and father brought take out dinner for all of us and we just stayed at Lissa's suite talking and laughing until Roza cleared her throat getting everyone's attention.

"While I was out, something very interesting happened and you guys are probably not going to believe me." She stated and we all looked at her intently.

"What is it Roza?" I asked.

"I don't really know what it was. It was like a dream, similar to a spirit dream but it wasn't exactly and I saw someone I never expected to see again." She said.

"Who did you see Rose?" Adrian asked slightly confused and I guess he was wondering who might have dream walked with her since he obviously hadn't.

"I saw Mason. I know that sounds strange but I did. He told me that he didn't blame anyone for his death and that he had found peace. He also chewed me out saying I was letting my anger cloud my instincts and that if it wasn't for Abe, I would be Strigoi right now." She said and I looked over towards Abe who wore a pained expression. I knew that Roza saw Mason because that certainly explained her mumblings and her tears. While she may not have loved him, her and Eddie were very close with Mason and I knew she was speaking the truth. No one questioned what she said and I was glad about that part, although Janine looked slightly skeptical. Later that night I took Roza to bed and curled beside her, drifting off into dreamless oblivion.

**Well there's chapter 3 and I'm kinda running outta ideas with this story so if you guys have any to share, I'm all for it. Please R&R**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 4

Rose POV

I woke surprisingly refreshed and ready to face another day. I mentally scolded myself about letting my anger blind me to the things I was trained to notice during a fight. In those moments during the confrontation with Victor, I had let my anger blind me to the obvious. Somewhere deep down I knew that Victor was leading me into a trap but at the moment, I was too naïve to realize it. I shook those depressing thoughts from my mind and showered quickly. I could smell the delicious scents coming from downstairs, signaling my stomach to announce its impatience by a loud rumble. I dressed and went downstairs quickly, only briefly noticing that the rest of the group were already there awaiting my arrival. Christian of course had to put an end to my peaceful morning.

"Figures Rose would follow her nose." He muttered sarcastically, earning a hard glare from me and a surprisingly harder one from Liss.

"Roza, I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me tonight?" Dimitri asked trying to break the tense moment between Christian and I.

"Of course Dimitri." I replied happily and that breathtaking smile that I loved so much covered his face. We sat in relative silence until I noticed a somewhat sneaky look cover my father's face. Usually this meant nothing but something inside me told me that it was something I needed to be worried about.

"Dad, is there something wrong over there? You are a lot quieter than usual and I know something's up so spill." I finally said and the all powerful, mobster father of mine actually paled. Yeah now I knew that something was definitely up with him. I glared at him and he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Well Rosemarie," I growled at the use of my full name. "I had planned to tell you later in a more private venue but I do have some news." He smiled and turned to Janine with a secret smile and she returned it. Okay something was definitely up with these two. "Janine and I have decided that it is high time that we got married." He blurted and my mouth literally dropped open in shock. What? Okay this wasn't bad news exactly, but it was rather unexpected, but dad, always had a flare for the dramatic and he wasn't through yet. "I also wondered how you would feel about having a little brother or sister?" He asked and I then did something that I, Rose Hathaway have never done, I fainted.

I came back to myself about ten minutes later and I was still in shock at the news I had received. Not only are my parents getting married, but they are giving me a sibling. If this had been anyone else stuck in this situation, it would have been laughable, but to me this was just …just, I don't know insane.

"Are you going to stay with us this time?" I heard Abe say with a hint of amusement and a little concern.

"Yeah I think so. It's just…did you guys have to throw such a curve ball? You guys know I'm not good with things like that." Abe laughed lightly but a glare from me stopped it. I turned to Janine who was sitting close to Abe's side. "Are you really pregnant?" I asked. Mom laughed at my expression. Wait, the formidable Janine Hathaway,… laughing? I would have glared at her too but I was too shocked to form that much of a reply.

"Yes Rose, I am indeed pregnant." Mom said and I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am about three weeks right now and we wanted to know if you would like to be my maid of honor at the wedding Rose?" I was shocked yet again and all I could do is nod dumbly at the pair.

The conversation took a turn towards safer subjects and I ended up spending most of the day with my parents. Later that evening I excused myself to get ready for my dinner date with Dimitri. I wore a blood red dress that seemed it was made just for me. It was just an inch or so above knee length and had a short split on the right side. It was decorated with black swirls that started small at the right shoulder and increased in size as the designs descended down to my left hip. I wore my hair down my back in loose natural waves and only applied minimal makeup. I wore short heels and concealed my stake just under the dress, attached to my right thigh for easy access if we ran into a fight.

Dimitri and I went to a small restaurant just north of court and it was really pleasant, although I was admittedly a little nervous about going outside the wards again. After the meal was finished, Dimitri ordered desert for the both of us and I was incredibly surprised when I noticed a metallic gleam on top of the slice of chocolate cake in front of me. Closer inspection revealed that it wasn't just a metal gleam. Sitting there perched on top of my dessert was a ring. I looked towards Dimitri's chair and he was not there, but instead was in the floor to my right, kneeling down on one knee beside me. He looked up at me with an expression of reverence and love. Wait, is he doing what I think he's doing? He took my hands in his and looked directly into my eyes.

"Roza, I loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you and even though I denied our love for a long time and pushed you away, I love you now more than ever and I want for us to be a family in the true sense of the word. There have always been a lot of obstacle for us and there still will be, but I want for us to face them together as man and wife. Roza will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He said. I felt traitor tears running down my face and for a moment the only thing I could do was nod frantically. I pulled him up and kissed him while he wrapped me in a tight embrace.

"Yes Dimitri, I will marry you." I said after a few minutes when I finally found my voice. Dimitri plucked the ring from the dessert and wiped it clean with a napkin before placing it snugly on the appropriate finger. I smiled at the thoughts that were now running wild in my mind. I would now be a permanent part of the family that I loved from the minute I met them. Thinking about his family in Russia made me miss them and their presence for this special occasion was greatly desired. When the restaurant calmed down from our display and we finally finished out dessert, we left the restaurant heading back towards court wrapped up in our own pleasant conversation until my phone rang. The caller ID read that it was Guardian Croft and I groaned. I answered the phone reluctantly.

"Hathaway." I answered formally.

"Guardian Hathaway, I regret to inform you that Natasha Ozera has escaped our custody and is now believed to be Strigoi." My world stopped along with my good mood with just that one sentence. "We need you and Belikov back here immediately to set up tighter security around Queen Vasilisa." He ordered.

"We are on our way back right now. How did this happen Guardian Croft? She was supposed to be highly guarded and she was to be tried just this week." I asked in frustration and slight irritation over the whole mess.

"The guards were taken out after she managed to somehow drain a feeder and she turned Strigoi. I don't know all the details yet since two of the four guards are dead and the other two are still unconscious at the clinic. We have a security camera feed down there but it appears that it was disabled shortly after breaking out of her cell." He explained. I looked over to Dimitri and motioned for him to step on it. We were just entering court grounds and I was still on the phone with Guardian Croft when I felt Lissa's fear. I was immediately pulled into her head and I was face to face with the crimson rimmed eyes of a newly awakened Strigoi. I pulled out of her head quickly and relayed to Guardian Croft.

"Croft Tasha is with Lissa now. Send all the guards you can spare and I'll be there in just a second." I said and hung up the phone. As soon as the car stopped I was out and running towards Lissa's house. I could still feel her fear and I had to fight hard to keep my mind in the here and now. I rushed through the court grounds, making a bee line for the building that Lissa was housed and practically flew up the stairs with Dimitri hot on my heels. Thankfully I had left those horrible shoes in the car since running in those was absolutely impossible. Just outside Lissa's suite, I had Dimitri keep watch as I slipped into Lissa's mind to get a feel for what was going on in there.

Lissa was cowering in the corner, holding Christian tightly and watching Tasha intently. Tasha stalked the room and I noticed that there were others in the room. Janine and Abe were in there and Pavel and Sergei were unconscious on the floor. Janine clung tightly to my father in fear but I knew she wasn't fearful for herself, but for her child. I had to make a choice and I knew this would be hard.

"There are four inside plus another two unconscious. Three are guardians, three Moroi. I need to go in alone and get Tasha's attention drawn to me, she will definitely come towards me, possibly leaving an opening. If the isn't one, don't worry about me and get the others out. One of the guardians is Janine Hathaway and she is three weeks pregnant." I stated and the guardians that had assembled nodded but a look at Dimitri told me that he didn't like the plan but what choice did we have. She was waiting on me and I knew it.

"Tasha I'm coming in alone." I announced and opened the door slowly. I kept my stake still hidden, thinking that she would see me as unarmed. I left the door open a mere crack and stared murderously at Tasha who now picked up Lissa, shielding herself from me. Thankfully the bond that Lissa and I shared had grown so that I could send her messages in my mind.

_Liss, I'm going to switch with you. When I go into your mind, go into mine._ She nodded slightly so that Tasha didn't notice our exchange._ Do it quickly Liss._ And like that we switched and I was able to control her body. I knew that Liss would probably be bruised the next day but it was a small price to pay. I/Liss elbowed her with all the force I could find and ran from Tasha. I sent the message for us to switch back just as Tasha grabbed my body and pulled me to her again. Hey at least this time I was in my own body. I elbowed her in the gut again, granted a little harder this time, while reaching for my stake. As she doubled over from having the air knocked out of her body I spun and connected the stake with her body, slashing to create an opening. She hissed and faced me, howling as the stake's metal sizzled at her skin. I punched her in the face and her arms went back to steady her as she staggered back, creating an opening for my stake. I took the opening, finding her heart easily and watched as the light disappeared from her cold eyes. After that was done I looked over to see Christian and Liss huddled together crying on each other.

I knew this was hard for Christian and even though I gave him hell repeatedly, he didn't deserve this. His last blood relative, murdering the queen and turning Strigoi all because she didn't catch the eye of a guy. This would cause an uproar and alienate him even more and I felt bad for my friend. He was now left to suffer the actions of his family squarely on his shoulders and it wasn't fair to him. The guardians fanned out into the room and carried the body out of the room, others tried to revive the two unconscious guardians and gave up, taking them down to the clinic for them to be looked after. I walked toward Lissa and asked if she and Christian were okay.

"Fine Rose, it's just been an emotional few minutes and we need some time alone. Lissa sent a message in my head. _Go and see about your mother Rose. We are fine and Christian just needs some time to process all this._ I nodded and sent her a message in return._ Let me know if there is any way I can help Liss. I'm sorry but you know it had to be done, otherwise she would have killed you both. She turned willingly and trying to save her wasn't an option unfortunately._ I told her in my mind and she nodded slightly in understanding. Sure Tasha and I never got along so well, but if there was a way to safe her without endangering Lissa and Christian, I definitely would. I sent the pair upstairs for some privacy and went to look after my mother.

"Are you alright mom, dad." They both looked a little stunned at me calling them mom and dad but recovered quickly sending me a small smile.

"We are fine Rosemarie. I was just trying to get you mother down to the clinic to make sure the baby is okay but she is stubborn." I snorted a laugh while Janine glared at Abe.

"Wow I wondered where I inherited that stubbornness from." I mused and they answered at the same time.

"Your mother." Abe answered.

"Your father." Janine answered. I had to laugh as they glared playfully at one another and I got back to more serious topics.

"Seriously though mom, it wouldn't hurt anything just to make sure." I stated and her playful glare turned to a serious one and it was now directed towards me. I laughed. "Come on mom, you know I'm immune to the Hathaway glare." A small smile finally broke on her face and she sighed in defeat as dad and I escorted her to the infirmary. I was finally getting close to my parents, both of them, and it only took 18 years to accomplish.

**I realize that this chapter is a little shorter than the others but this will be the shortest. Please R&R and sorry for the long wait guys.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I am truly sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter out. There isn't anything to say other than a severe case of writers block when it comes to this story. I am finding it difficult to get this chapter out and I am super sorry that this is so short. However I promise that once my brain starts working right again (whenever that might be), that I will make it up to you.**

Chapter 5

Rose POV

Janine, Abe and I made it to the infirmary quickly and there were no problems with her pregnancy for which I was glad. She of course grumbled that it was a waste of time but Abe and I ignored her mumblings. Mom and dad went back to their own rooms and I went back to Lissa's. I was really concerned about how Christian was taking all of this and I wondered whether he would recover from this. I walked into the apartment cautiously and went upstairs to my room to change. Dimitri was sitting there on my bed with a saddened expression on his face and I went to him immediately.

"What's wrong Comrade?" I asked and I saw a small smile grace his features and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Nothing Roza, I just never thought that Tasha would go to such great lengths to get what she wanted. I knew her for most of my life and I just don't understand where the change occurred in her. She used to be so kind and caring, strong in heart and mind but never tried to destroy others for her own gain. I just don't understand it." He said and it finally clicked for me. Tasha and Dimitri had a long lasting friendship long before I came into his life. I had been so concerned with how Christian would take all of this I had inadvertently ignored the fact that Dimitri had a connection with her. Granted that had flown out the window when she shot me, but all the same. I held onto Dimitri tightly and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry Dimitri, I never thought that this would be hard on you. I was worried about how Christian would take it, but the thought of your friendship didn't cross my mind. I know that the point is mute since she shot me, but I guess your friendship with her being crushed by all of this was something I totally overlooked and I am sorry for that." I said honestly. He smiled slightly and kissed me.

"It's alright Roza. I know that there has been a lot on your mind lately and I understand. Yeah I miss our friendship, but I miss the old Tasha, not the person that was killed tonight." Dimitri said with a pained expression but it morphed into a small smile. "I'm just glad that you, Lissa and Christian are all alright. I guess that we will have to wait to tell the others about our engagement after everything calms down a little bit." He finished and I nodded. I felt a little guilty about celebrating my happiness with Dimitri while Lissa and Christian were mourning the death of someone they both considered family before all this mess started. Dimitri and I got ready for bed and we didn't need words tonight. We lay together in the calm silence and held each other before finally drifting to sleep.

The following morning I woke up rather early, well early for me anyways. I showered and dressed quickly before heading downstairs to find Dimitri already in the kitchen working on breakfast. I worked quietly beside him until an idea came to mind.

"Dimitri, we need to talk to your family about things between us and I was hoping that we would be able to take a short trip to see them pretty soon. What do you think?" I asked. Dimitri drew an exasperated breath and looked at me.

"Roza I really want to see them but I don't know how they will react to seeing me as a Damphir again. I want nothing more than to see their reactions to our engagement but I … I am afraid of how they would see me." Dimitri said trailing off towards the end. I stopped what I was doing and turned my body towards him fully, cupping his face with my hands.

"Comrade, I understand that you are worried but I promise you this, you are family to them and they will love you and support you as they always have. Yeah it will be somewhat of a shock but that is lessened because they have already been informed. It wasn't your choice to be Strigoi and they know that. They love you regardless and you need to face this in order to move past these insecurities." I told him while wiping the small tear that leaked from his eyes. He nodded in solemn acceptance and we embraced. His arms were around my back, hugging me as if I would disappear if he were to loosen his hold or look away. We turned back to our tasks and prepared breakfast. I was actually surprised that Lissa and Christian were not down yet and mumbled a short, laugh thinking about how those tow would think that the world was coming to an end to see that I had risen so early in the morning of my own steam. Dimitri looked over raising an eyebrow and I almost grumbled a curse at him. He knew that it bothered me that everyone around me could do that so effortlessly and I was, it seemed, the only one on the planet that couldn't. Seeing my expression Dimitri chuckled softly but said nothing to avoid angering me farther.

Of course my life was never so easy and the desired silence ended as Lissa and Christian came into the kitchen. I turned towards them and was surprised to see Christian wearing a smile. It was a slightly pained smile but a smile none the less. I walked over towards Christian and did something that I would've never imagined. On impulse, I hugged Christian tightly and whispered into his ear.

"I know that Tasha was family to you and I am sorry that it came to this Christian. We are and have always have been your family and you have our support." I said and pulled away from him, not failing to notice the single tear that slid its way down his face. I smiled at him and it turned into a playful smirk. "Now, if you tell anyone outside this room what just happened I will most definitely deny it. I have a reputation to uphold you know and I don't make these little emo moments public knowledge." I said and his sad smile grew and he laughed.

"No problem Rosie, your secret's safe with me and Liss." Christian's smirk widened as I growled at the Rosie reference. Lissa giggled amusedly and I could see the amusement in Dimitri's eyes as well. Finally the rest of our group started to drop in as was the routine lately. We ate in relative silence for a few minutes until I gave Dimitri a questioning look, wondering if we should go forth with the announcement of our engagement. He gave a subtle nod that indicated I was right and cleared his throat rather loudly, but also uncomfortably. Heads shot up around the table and looked at him expectantly. I rolled my eyes at him while smiling. Big bad Russian could slay Strigoi like nobody's business but make and announcement on our engagement and he cracks under pressure. I sent him a reassuring smile and he relaxed a little before he finally spoke.

"Roza and I have some news to share with you. Last night, before all the chaos around her, I asked Roza to be my wife and she agreed." Dimitri said breathing a sigh of relief at getting this out in the open. There was minimal silence before the room was filled with the girlish squeals of Lissa, Mia, Jill, Sydney and surprisingly Janine. They took turns hugging me tightly while the guys gave their congratulations ant turned to Dimitri to repeat their sentiments. Abe was also overjoyed with the revelations and spoke to Dimitri in hushed whispers. Judging from the look on Dimitri's face, I would say that my mobster father was living up to his reputation and uttering the threat of revenge against him if any harm came to me. Everyone was talking, wrapped in conversations of their own, talking about things like the wedding and dresses, decorations, cakes, the whole thing and I groaned internally at the thoughts of having to shop for dresses and such. I didn't care what I wore as long as I was able to stand with him at the altar and say 'I do'. I was brought out of my musings by another throat clearing and I was surprised to see that it was again Dimitri speaking again.

"As soon as Lissa has her official coronation as Queen, Roza and I are making a trip to visit my family if at all possible." Dimitri said and Lissa smiled widely.

"Of course Dimitri, the official coronation takes place in three day and that will be my first order of business once I take up the position. While the engagement will have to be kept between close friends and family for now, by the time you two come back I will have the law altered so that your union is both possible and legal." Lissa said and I was speechless. I really hadn't given a thought to the fact that right now we couldn't legally marry here at court and it was law that Damphirs couldn't marry one another. Lissa stated that the law could be easily amended so that as long as Damphirs still protected their Moroi, they could marry whoever they wanted. This small concession was giving the Damphir population back their free will to an extent and I wholeheartedly agreed.

We spent the rest of the day and the following days with our friends and family, often talking about things that Janine wanted for her wedding as Lissa agreed to help her plan the wedding. The guys mostly watched sports programs and played video games while us girls just talked about different things that we wanted to do. Of course they all asked me about the engagement and practically tore my arm off to give the ring a closer inspection. The day before the coronation, Dimitri and I started to get some of our things together for our trip to Russia and I was really excited to see everyone again. I had talked dad into letting us use the private jet and he readily agreed, sighting that it was difficult to get through public airports with stakes and it just wasn't smart to go without them and buy more once we landed. I agreed and Dimitri and I lay together tangling our limbs together but nothing more at the time. I did want him and I knew he wanted me too, but we were both exhausted with our guardian shifts around the court grounds and we drifted off to sleep uttering a one word promise. Apparently we both had the same idea, so as we both drifted we said the same thing.

"Tomorrow." We said in unison just before darkness came for the both of us.

**Again i know this is very short but please continue to R&R.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I know that it has been awhile since my last update and i am sorry. This chapter is shorter than the others and i apologize for that. I know have a good starting point for the next chapter and maybe it will come to me a little easier from her on. Thanks guys and keep up the reviews.**

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Chapter 6

Rose POV

Of course the coronation went exactly as planned and I was also appointed Lissa's head guardian. Some were actually a little surprised at that seeing as I was accused of the murder of our last queen, but most of the court were coming around to the fact that I was recognizably the best person for the job all things considered. After the coronation, Dimitri and I accompanied Lissa to the reception that was being held in celebration of her reign. The party lasted for some time and the Moroi, although some disliked me and Dimitri with a passion, had no such reservations for Lissa. They greeted her warmly and pledged their loyalty to her. Adrian was also there and as much as it killed him to see his Aunt had been murdered, he was completely supportive of Liss as we all were. After the party had begun to disperse, we escorted Liss back to her suite and Dimitri and I continued to pack for our flight to visit his family in Russia. Dimitri was more nervous than I had ever seen him and I constantly comforted him, telling him that his family would welcome us with open arms. He took little comfort in that but I could see that he appreciated that I was supportive of him.

The following morning was filled with goodbyes and promises to keep the others in the group posted. I knew that Lissa didn't particularly want to be away from us for any great length of time, but she also understood that Dimitri needed to confront the fears he had. He needed the acceptance of his family and I knew that he would receive it, although he still maintained some doubts. We took Abe's jet from court to a private airstrip just outside of Omsk and rented a car that would take us to Baia. The plane ride was the worst since the bond that Lissa and I had solidified farther after she healed me the last time. The ghosts plagued me during our flight but I was able to block most of them, leaving me with the worst headache of my life.

When we got off the jet in Omsk, we got our car and stopped for some food and gas before heading into Baia. Dimitri was still anxious, but I was happy that we would be visiting his family together for the first time ever. It was strange that I had seen his family more in the past months than he had in the past several years and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I loved his family as if they were my own and I was always greeted warmly by Olena. Yeva and I had an understanding it seemed, but I wasn't really sure what to make of her as of yet. I knew that she was one crafty old lady and there was a part of me that loved that about her. She just knew things and left others to figure out what needed to be done, citing that too much information on the subject would cause things to occur differently from her vision. In a round-about way it made sense but made getting information from her a little frustrating. Her answers were always in the form of cryptic riddles and made for a frustrating and often one-sided conversation.

Dimitri's sisters were all very different from one another, but also the same in most respects. Sonya, like Dimitri, was strong and protective. She had an overwhelming urge to protect her family and although she didn't say much, what she did say was strong and firm. Karolina was more soft-spoken, much like her mother Olena. Victoria was a great deal like me in most respects. She was constantly one to talk and spoke her mind. She had that protectiveness that I saw in Dimitri and there was a drive in her to protect her family and others that she cared for. Little Paul was so sweet and reminded me of a miniature version of Dimitri. He wasn't as quiet as Dimitri of course, but I envisioned that he was much like Paul is when he was that age. Ivan's death had changed Dimitri more than we all would have preferred, but there really wasn't anything we could do. Dimitri shut himself off from others after that and became the stoic Russian god. He opened up a lot when I came around, but I could see that he struggled to find his true self.

When he was turned Strigoi, that halted all of the progress that he had made with me. He now had guilt and self doubt added into the mix of painful emotions that he hides from others. He tries to hide it from me, but his eyes always say what he will not. Getting Dimitri back was a true blessing for me and I had hoped that we would be together always after he was restored, but the guilt and pain was a constant fixture. I loved him no matter what and at first; I believed his words in the church that day. After my return and all the drama that ensued, I knew that he still loved me and the guilt he carried was slowly receding.

Not that any of that mattered now though. Dimitri had asked me to marry him and I was over the moon. We had talked and settled things out and we helped each other as much as we could. Strangely I felt that everything was finally falling into place for all of us. I knew that Liss and Pyro would get married sometime in the near future, mom and dad were getting married and having another baby, I silently expected that Eddie and Mia weren't too far from taking their relationship a step farther and hell even Adrian had found happiness with my favorite little alchemist. I was happy for all of them and wished them all the best life had to offer. Like I said, everything seemed to fall into place.

Thankfully my internal ramblings stopped as we finally pulled up to the small house that I knew so well and had visited only weeks ago. It somehow felt like years since I had been here but I was happy to be here once again.

"Are you ready?" I said looking at Dimitri with all the love and concern I could, knowing that he was out of his element here. Sure it was his childhood home, but since being a Strigoi everything felt foreign to him. I squeezed his hand a little to comfort him and he smiled.

"Yeah," he sighed anxiously. "I know that they love me and they will support me but what if they fear what I was?" He asked slightly pained.

"Dimitri, they are your family and they love you unconditionally. You aren't the Strigoi anymore and they know that. Just trust that they will welcome you with open arms. They might be a little uneasy at first but that is to be expected. They thought of you as being in a sense dead after all. A little time will prove to you that they will still see the same Dimitri in there somewhere. You will be accepted here Dimitri more than anywhere else and you know that." I explained and he smiled bringing me closer to him for a long and gentle kiss. He pulled away smiling in gratitude.

"Thank you Roza, I needed to hear that. Let's go see our family." He said smiling slightly and I returned it with a full blown smile. Our family was right and I loved to hear that coming from him. We stepped out of the car and walked towards the door. I knocked on the door, still wrapped up in Dimitri for a minute. I heard several voices inside speaking in long strings of Russian before the door slowly opened and Olena stood before us. She spotted me and smiled but then her attention was drawn to the person beside me and I could see her eyes scan him to see that it was her son. Seconds later she burst into tears and flung herself at Dimitri. I narrowly escaped before she had him wrapped in a tight tear filled hug. She spoke rapidly in Russian and I didn't need a translator to know that she was over the moon to see that her son was safe and had finally returned home. Through the window into the living room, I glanced in to see Yeva in her usual spot, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. She smiles towards me and when her eyes met mine I saw her give a little wink and a nod of approval. That crafty old bat already knew. Well so much for the element of surprise.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I know this chapter is way late and i apologize. Having a difficult time getting this story out. Please R&R. Any ideas as to where you would like to see this story go, please let me know. Enjoy.**

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Chapter 7

Rose POV

As strange as it was to be across the world from anything I had ever called home previously, I felt at home here with Dimitri and his family. I loved them all and even though we had little clashes now and again, we were truly family. Once the greetings and disbelief were over, we all sat in the small living room talking about random things and I smiled as I watched Dimitri smile and laugh with his family. I had missed them also, but Dimitri hadn't seen them in way too long. We avoided the Strigoi topic like the plague and our conversation morphed to the events of the last several weeks at court. They were all surprised at the revelation of the murderer that had taken Tatiana's life and in a sense taken mine briefly.

Dimitri told them about the laws that Lissa had planned to change also which led us to the subject of our engagement. The whole family was overjoyed at the news and congratulated us profusely. I was brought out of my trance watching the family as Yeva came over and placed her hand on my shoulder lightly, causing me to jump at the sudden contact. It was careless for a guardian to get so lost in their thoughts.

"You have done well my granddaughter. Dimka is plagued with guilt but it will pass in time with you by his side. He will be at his strongest with you by his side, never forget that child." She said to me and I nodded. I looked over to see her with a knowing smirk on her face.

"There's something else isn't there Yeva?" I asked and her smile grew wider. Yep, she was definitely hiding something else in that brain of hers. Crafty old bat but I did love her just the same.

"Everything will reveal itself in time child. Dimka will be disbelieving at first, but will come to understand." She said knowingly and I groaned at her cryptic answer. She just smiled knowingly and went to the door as the bell rang. I was pleased to see that Oksana and Mark had come for a visit and they warmed up to Dimitri rather quickly. I guess they might have received warning from Yeva ahead of time. We talked well into the night and decided that it was time for us to retire to our beds. Dimitri and I went upstairs to his old room and I was flooded with memories of when I had tracked him down as a Strigoi. I shook my thoughts quickly, not wanting to increase the guilt that Dimitri carried with him. Dimitri asked me if I would go to dinner with him tomorrow night and I agreed. As much fun as it was to see the family and spend some time with them, I still felt that we needed some time for ourselves. We respected his family enough that we wouldn't make love at their home but we snuggled together and shared a passionate kiss before we drifted off to sleep in each others' arms.

The following day greeted me with the wonderful sight of a shirtless Dimitri and it took all of my willpower not to jump him. We showered and dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. I helped Olena bring some things to the table as the others filed in and we all sat down to eat. Karolina and Victoria left right after breakfast for work at their part time jobs while Yeva and Olena stayed home with Sonya and the babies. Paul left for school, being dropped off by Karolina.

Dimitri and I prepared for our night out and we paid a visit to Mark and Oksana before returning home and around noon. We were having a relatively early night out since we were concerned about Strigoi attacks and I went upstairs around four to get ready. When Dimitri and I were both dressed and ready, Yeva called me aside and handed me something wrapped in a soft cloth. I unwrapped it and it was a stake. I looked at her in confusion but she just smiled.

"You are closer to the darkness now and therefore closer to the spirit as well. This stake has been infused with magic from several spirit users to use as your bond mate did with Dimitri. You should keep it close tonight, for you just might see someone you will want to save from that fate." Yeva said smiling. I laughed lightly and smiled at her.

"Just as cryptic as ever Yeva." I said and she placed her hands on either side of my face and kissed my forehead.

"For all that you do for this family and others, please call me Babushka from now on. Head my words child." I smiled and nodded at her.

"I would never bet against you Babushka. You have yet to fail me so far." I told her and she smiled. It was true, she was cryptic in her warnings, but never wrong. Dimitri and I walked to the car and drove to a small restaurant near the edge of town where we had reservations. We talked and laughed for hours over everything and nothing at all. It was a foreign feeling to be so carefree with him like this and I decided that I wanted more of it.

As the night drew to a close we walked back out to the car and I started to feel the familiar Strigoi nausea. I tensed and Dimitri pulled his stake, sensing why my body had reacted. I pulled my regular stake from the holster on my thigh just under the dress and scanned the area. I knew they were there and I could feel them, but hadn't yet seen them. Sudden movement to my right alerted me and I whipped in that direction to see several Strigoi. Standing among the Strigoi was one I never thought that I would see again. She looked very much like I had seen her last. The scarring that was on her face before was still there but faint. I now knew what Yeva had planned for the other stake that I carried tonight.

"Well Rosemarie this is a pleasant surprise, and with your mentor and ex Strigoi…" She laughed evily. "Well that is a surprise indeed. The two supposed best guardians so far away from their beloved Queen Vasilisa. Tell me Rose, did you sleep with your mentor while at the academy like you did all the others? The rumors were like wildfire you know."

"My intimate life is no concern of yours." I spat. I had to keep my head so I could do what I needed to do.

"Well seems like a touchy subject so I must have hit a nerve." She sneered while the other Strigoi were sitting ready to pounce.

"Roza do you know her?" Dimitri asked.

"Unfortunately, Dimitri meet who students at the academy deemed crazy miss Karp." I said. "Guardian Tanner will be happy that I found you." I said turning back to Sonya. Her eyes widened for a split second and I almost missed it.

"Ah how is Mikhail? He must still be at court. No matter, he will be joining me soon." She said. "Boys you know what to do." She said and the Strigoi around us lunged. Dimitri and I were already in a defensive crouch and prepared for them. They were good fighters and strong, but soon there was only one left. Sonya.

"Sonya is mine Dimitri." I said and I could tell he didn't like it but nodded. I switched stakes without anyone noticing and she lunged at me. We swapped blows for several minutes and I didn't come out of the fight unscathed. Sonya clawed out at my left arm, taking clothing and flesh with her. I screamed briefly in pain but told Dimitri with my eyes to stay back. He watched for other Strigoi but there were none.

"You fight well Rosemarie. Maybe I could use your skill after all." She sneered while we circled some more.

"I'll pass on the offer thanks." I stated and she lunged closer this time. I was finally able to pin her and plunged the stake hard through her chest. Just like with Dimitri, there was a blinding white light and the bond with Lissa went silent. Once my vision cleared, Dimitri was picking himself up off the ground and rushed over to me only to stop short. I looked to Sonya and discovered that Yeva was right. Sonya Karp was once again Moroi.

Dimitri was of course confused and I told him everything would be explained later. I placed a call to Lissa to explain everything.

Lissa POV

I missed Rose dearly but I understood that she and Dimitri needed this time away and the chance to see Dimitri's family. He hadn't seen them since before he was turned Strigoi and I prayed that all went well with them. I couldn't wait to tell them that they will now be able to get married so long as they don't abandon their charges. I was thrilled at the idea of Rose finally being happy with the man she loved and still being able to be a guardian. I was eating dinner several nights later with the rest of our group when I felt a flicker through the bond and it went silent. I started to panic and tried the bond many time to see what was going on but I got nothing. The others eyed me in worry and concern, especially when I told them that the bond went silent. Minutes later my phone started to ring and it was Rose.

"Rose what happened?" I practically screamed. "I felt something through the bond but I don't know what it was."

"Liss, we are fine but we did discover something rather interesting. Apparently you don't always need a spirit user to restore Strigoi." She said calmly.

"What?" I said in shock while the others looked at me intently trying to get an idea of what was going on.

"Liss listen to me. Find Guardian Tanner and get him on the phone right now. It is very important." She said. Guess she is in guardian mode right now. I turned to Eddie and told him to go find Mikhail.

"Rose, Eddie is going now to retrieve Mikhail. Can you tell me how you managed to restore a Strigoi?" Gasps erupted in the room and I shushed them holding up a finger.

"Yeva gave me a special stake infused with spirit from several spirit users. She said that I am closer to the darkness after you healed me the second time. Being closer to the darkness apparently makes me closer to spirit as well so I can take the place of the spirit user as the catalyst." She explained and I am amazed that she could do this. Just then Mikhail came through the door with Eddie and I handed him the phone.

"Rose this is Mikhail. Eddie said it was urgent. What is it?" He asked and he went silent but suddenly tensed.

"She is there in Russia?" He asked. "Did you kill her Rose?" I don't know who he is talking about but we all listened intently. We couldn't hear Rose's side of the conversation. Suddenly Mikhail fell to his knees sobbing and I thought that he was saddened but his aura shone in happiness and joy. I shared a look with Adrian who was also studying his aura but he just shrugged. He was as confused as the rest of us.

"Thank you Rose. Thank you so much. I will never be able to repay you for this." He said and we were still confused when he handed the phone back to me and continued to sob in joy and relief.

"Okay Rose will you please tell me what is going on?" I asked. I hated to be out of the loop.

"Liss the Strigoi I restored was once a teacher at the academy and we knew her before we left for those two years. She was Mikhail's lover. They loved each other like Dimitri and I do. She turned somewhat willingly but she was a spirit user and the darkness played a huge role in her decision. Mikhail searched for her like I did with Dimitri but never found her. She was in Russia and I was able to restore her. Liss I restored Sonya Karp." She said and I was floored with this information. "We are leaving Russia in two days and we will be bringing her to court with us."

"Okay Rose. I hate to do it but she will have to be in a cell like Dimitri was. I know that sounds bad but the Moroi won't take well to a restored Strigoi running through court as soon as they get here." I said.

"I understand Liss and so does Sonya. She and Dimitri are talking things out and he is helping her with her issues. I have to go Liss and I will be home very soon. Sonya is also giving information on Strigoi movements and we need to meet about that as soon as I get back to court." She said and I agreed. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I sighed in relief that there was nothing wrong with her. I faced the others and explained everything. To say that they were stunned was an understatement. We split up that night and I snuggled up to Christian, thinking about what Rose had said and about Strigoi movements. Would our world ever be safe?


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 8

Rose POV

Mikhail was so grateful that I had managed to find Sonya and restore her. I left Dimitri to talk with Sonya a little more while I got us a hotel room for the night. I knew that Yeva would understand and the rest of Dimitri's family wouldn't be comfortable with someone who has been newly restored. We took her back to the Belikov home for a minute so that I could explain things and Dimitri stayed close to Sonya. I held no jealousy in me for their interactions because I knew that he could help her with the transition from being Strigoi. I explained everything to the family and Yeva sat in her chair with a knowing smirk. We explained that the use of a hotel room for tonight was simply a precaution and that we would be dropping by in the morning. I borrowed some clothes for Sonya to wear since hers were well worn and packed some of our things to take to the hotel.

When it was time for us to leave and go back to the US, I had overlooked the issue that Sonya had no identification and I called dad. Without some form of identification we would be unable to get a commercial flight back to the states and security was a bitch to get through anyway while carrying silver stakes along. I sure wasn't about to abandon the one that Yeva had given me to restore Sonya. He arranged everything with a private jet as soon as I had explained the situation. We said our goodbyes to Dimitri's family and we headed for the airstrip to meet the jet that Abe had loaned us for the flight back to court. I called Lissa to tell her that we were on our way and she told me that she had alerted Hans and made all the necessary preparations.

Once we finally arrived at court, Dimitri took her to the cell where she was to remain until the Moroi were sure that she was no longer Strigoi. I hated for her to be there like Dimitri had been but I understood the fears that the Moroi had. The hardest part would be to explain that her willing turn to a Strigoi wasn't a conscious decision and that the darkness had taken control of her in that moment. During the time that she turned Strigoi, no one really knew about the issues of spirit users and it was thought that spirit was no longer awarded as one of the specialized elements so nobody had an idea how to deal with her since they just assumed that she was crazy. They didn't know that it was in fact caused by spirit.

I had asked that Lissa charm some items for her to help her control the darkness and she agreed that it was a good idea. Adrian wanted to help but we explained that it would be ideal if those charming the items were bonded so as not to create their own uncontrolled darkness. I did allow him to help in other ways though seeing as he was better at reading auras, he would be able to determine when she would need a little boost to her charms. He thankfully understood and didn't argue with the plan we had formed to help Sonya. He had cut down greatly on his use of vices and we didn't want to cause him to revert to his old ways. Lissa and Adrian also wanted to have a look at the stake that Yeva gave me for the restoration and I agreed. They could both feel the power of several spirit users and hoped that there was a way to recreate it in the event of it being necessary.

It took a few days until the council tried to test her as they did Dimitri and they didn't feed her without intense supervision. Sonya had a lot of guilt over what she had done but took it in stride. She did all that the council asked of her without question and was finally cleared to be removed from the cell. Mikhail had been anxious to see her since she had arrived at court but I held him back until I was sure that she had dealt with some of the guilt for her Strigoi actions. I explained all of this to Mikhail and although he was furious with me at first, he thankfully understood my reasoning.

Mikhail and Sonya finally saw each other about a month after she was brought here to court. They both cried and hugged one another and it was definitely a heartwarming sight. They both thanked me to no end but I didn't need their thanks. I was just happy that my dear friend finally got his happy ending with the love of his life and they were reunited once again.

On a more serious note, Sonya had revealed some plans that the Strigoi had to attack Moroi settlements like ours here at court. She listed the information for us and we were appalled by the sheer number of planned attacks. Some were specifically dated and others were sporadic but they did give us some ideas and at least something to go on. We made as many preparations as we could for the other settlements and made sure that no Moroi ventured out of the gates as the scheduled attack drew closer.

I returned to my post after our return and continued to guard Lissa as her head guardian. When all of the commotion of our return died down we spent time with the group and tried to return to some sense of being normal for at least a little while. We all knew that the attack was drawing near and we feared that normal was something that wouldn't be part of our lives for a long time after. The sheer number of attacks that were planned caused a slight panic at the court with the Moroi but we did the best we could with what information and resources we had.

About a week later there were reports that the attacks had taken place in various locations that Sonya had pointed out to us. While there were some losses for our side, it wasn't the devastating losses that the Strigoi were hoping for due to the preparations that we had made. I did feel though that the time was near for the attack to occur here at court and I managed to help convince the councils that there was a great benefit to Moroi using offensive magic and they reluctantly agreed to allow training in Moroi magic here at court. Christian was already very skilled and dad wasn't bad either. Dad had remained at court with mom and turned over his business ventures to his guardian and friend Pavel. Because Pavel was a privately hired guardian, he managed the business from court and had others that he trusted to take care of the overseas ventures and the properties that Abe owned in Turkey and in Russia.

Mom was of course overjoyed that he was around for her and especially during her pregnancy. Janine wasn't showing much just yet so she wanted to get the wedding in before, in her words, she 'looked like an overstuffed cow'. I of course told her she could never look like an overstuffed cow but her glare told me that she didn't believe me, so Lissa and I sat down with her and planned a simple but elegant wedding for her and dad. Liss was having the time of her life of course and we managed to get everything planned rather quickly. I discussed with dad that we needed to have someone from here at court make her dress or have someone come here for her fittings. We agreed that we wouldn't take the chance of her venturing outside court while pregnant. Janine was of course stubborn but relented when dad and I both put our foot down on the matter.

She managed to find the perfect dress for her and the occasion and I along with Lissa and Mia were bridesmaids. Dad of course had Dimitri stand in along with Pavel and Sergei. It was a relatively small affair since Janine didn't know many people outside of being a guardian and dad didn't care for having business partner there either thank god. They didn't take a honeymoon due to the pregnancy so my gift to them was that once they were ready to be alone, I would take my baby brother or sister while they enjoyed themselves. I'll admit I knew nothing about babies but I would learn I guess. Dimitri would be a big help as well seeing he helped to care for his sisters and their children at times.

During about the time that mom stopped having morning sickness I started to feel kind of weird. Lissa didn't feel sick so I just assumed that it was some kind of stomach flu that would go away after a day or two. After about the fourth day of sickness and throwing up, I went to the clinic at court and Liss and Dimitri also went with me. I was concerned at what might be the problem but when the doctor told us, I was shocked beyond belief.

"Guardian Hathaway, congratulations, it appears that you are pregnant." He said and I could feel my eyes widen. I had never been intimate with anyone other than Dimitri, so how was it possible.

"That is not possible doctor." I said.

"Why not? You are sexually active aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah but two Damphirs cannot get pregnant." I said. "And the only person I have ever had sex with is right there." I practically screamed and pointed to Dimitri. It was then that I noticed a strange look on Dimitri's face. He looked betrayed, but I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Well you are correct that Damphirs cannot have children, so you must be mistaken in you claim guardian Hathaway. Given your reputation several years past, I just cannot trust that you are being honest with this." The doctor said and I did something that even I never imagined. Before Liss could calm me, I knocked the doctor straight on his ass and ran crying as fast as I could across court to mom and dad's room. I vaguel heard Liss calling for me from the clinic door but I didn't hear Dimitri and that felt like a knife to my heart. Dimitri didn't believe me either. On the way to dad's room, I managed to run into Adrian and Sydney. He knew something was wrong.

"Little Damphir, what's the matter?" He asked obviously concerned. I tried to push past him but he pulled me into a tight hug. I lost it of course and started crying like crazy. Sydney hugged me tightly too and held me until my sobs stopped.

"I went to the clinic because I wasn't feeling well. Dimitri and Liss were there too. The doctor said that I was sick because I am pregnant, but that can't be. I haven't been with anyone like that but Dimitri. Damphirs cannot have kids together for crying out loud. The doctor said I must have been mistaken about who I had sex with. Dimitri looked so betrayed and didn't even speak to me. I punched the doctor out cold and ran." I said between sobs. I noticed that Sydney was returning down the hall with my father.

"Oh Rose, I am sorry that they didn't believe. It is strange of course, but when have you ever been normal." He said with my favorite crooked grin and I half sobbed half laughed as dad wrapped his arms around me. "I mean hell Rose you restored Sonya, so why can't you have kids with Belikov." He said and I felt dad tighten his grip slightly.

"No dad this isn't his fault. Yes I am upset that he didn't believe me or defend me when that doctor started insinuating that I was jumping into beds at random, but that's his problem and mine and we will deal with it on our own. Right now I just need some space from him until he comes to his senses." I said.

Come on Rose, let's go talk to your mother. Maybe talking with her will give you some perspective on things." Dad said and I nodded silently. I said goodbye to Adrian and Sydney and went to mom and dad's room wrapped in my father's arms. For the first time, I felt like we were a real family. I just wish that Dimitri was here to share it with me.

Dimitri POV

When the doctor came in and told us that Roza was pregnant, I wasn't sure what to think. Damphirs can't have kids with one another, but why would Roza lie to me. She told me that she had never been with anyone else, even then she had to be with the father of her baby rather recently for her to be so early in the pregnancy. I just couldn't wrap my head around this. I stayed in my thoughts as Roza punched the doctor, knocking him out and ran out of the clinic. Lissa looked at me and groaned at my inaction and ran after her. She didn't go far because Lissa came back and did something that I wouldn't have expected. She walked right over to me and slapped me, bringing me back to the present.

"Dimitri Belikov, you get your cowardly behind out of that seat and go after your fiancé. I know Rose better than anyone and you forget that I can hear some of her thoughts and emotions. She is telling you the truth and you are either too dumb or too blind to see it. She loves you with all that she is and she wouldn't even entertain the thought of being with anyone but you." She practically screamed. I knew that she was right, I was a great big coward and I feared that the child was mine, and that the child wasn't mine. Either way I was confused but I honestly couldn't see her doing that to me.

Finally, I got up and ran out of the clinic, ignoring the doctor who was still out cold on the floor and ran towards our home. I hoped that she would be there. I somehow knew that she was telling the truth in the doctor's office but I just couldn't make myself speak up for some reason. What have I done to my beautiful Roza.

**Please R&R. Not long until i wrap this story up. Thanks.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

****I know that this is super late and I am very, very sorry. Writers block is the worst on this story for some reason but here it is and I will try to update again soon. Thanks and Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

Rose POV

I walked with dad back to his and moms room and as we entered, mom saw my face and wrapped me in a tight hug. I told her and dad everything that happened at the doctor and they listened quietly. I knew that what I was claiming was impossible but I was so confused. I had never been intimate with anyone but Dimitri so how could I be pregnant? I also understood the doctor's disbelief but he did cross the line when he started to comment about my reputation and that I had lied. I was most upset with Dimitri for not saying anything in my defense, like he believed that I would be with anyone else. I had finally calmed myself when there was a knock at the door and Abe went to answer it. Standing in the hallway was a very regretful Dimitri.

Dimitri POV

I went to the house but she wasn't there. I wracked my brain to think of where she could be. After leaving our place, I walked over to the building that housed the Moroi and decided to check with her parents. I knocked on their door and Abe answered the door looking angrily at me. I stepped inside and looked at Roza. She looked like she had just stopped crying and I felt like the worst villain in the world for making her feel that way. I knelt in front of her and she watched me with sad eyes. I could see that she felt betrayed and I sighed hard.

"Roza, I am so sorry. I know that you would never be unfaithful to me. The doctor saying that you were pregnant just threw me for a loop. It's supposed to be impossible, but then again you have been known to do the impossible. Please forgive me for being an idiot and not seeing that from the start. I love you Roza and I love our baby, our miracle." I said and I saw tears form in her eyes. She sobbed and threw her arms around me. I held her while she cried and she shifted away from me once she calmed.

"I know this is strange Dimitri and I understand your reluctance to believe it. I guess I don't know why this happened but I'm actually glad. Now I can give you the one thing that was denied us for so long. I forgive you for not believing at first, but I am still miffed at you for not giving that doctor a piece of your mind." She said smiling.

"I would have after you left, but you knocked him out cold." I said and we both laughed. We finally left the room and went back home.

Rose POV

I did understand his reluctance to believe the supposedly impossible and I immediately forgave Dimitri. My emotions had finally slowed their swirling to a manageable level by the time we got back to our room. I tried to imagine myself as a mother and I just couldn't fathom it. Of course I had given up on the idea of a family since Dimitri and I were both Damphirs but low and behold, here we were. We were engaged to be married and having a child together and I couldn't be happier.

After the shock wore down, we spent the next days with the group and they were as shocked as we were. Dimitri called home to Russia to share the news and everyone was excited, but I had a feeling that Yeva already knew. Was this what she meant before? Maybe being closer to spirit allowed me to conceive a child with Dimitri. I didn't much care about the how and why anymore though. I had other things to think about. Lissa steadily planned our wedding over the next few months and we moved the date ahead so that I wouldn't be too fat to walk down the aisle. Dad prepared for the Belikov's to come to court for the wedding and I was happy to have them here for the wedding.

Before I knew it, it was time for us to get married. The wedding was tomorrow and the Belikov's were coming. It had been a weird couple of months but the strange looks I got when walking through court couldn't even dim my good mood. I stood in my room after the final fitting of my dress and I smiled. I was at the three month mark in my pregnancy and although I had started to show a little, I didn't feel like I was an oversized whale. The dress was perfect, flowers were perfect, the man was perfect. I couldn't want for anything more. I was about to go and see mom and dad when my phone rang. Mom was due at any time so I answered it immediately without looking.

"Hello?" I said.

"Rosemarie, I need you to come down to the clinic. Janine just went into labor and delivery." He said and I was running out of the room as soon as I heard mom's name. I ran as fast as I could, well as fast as a pregnant woman could. I caught sight of Dimitri downstairs coming in and dragged him along with me and explained what was going on. I almost laughed at the mental picture of what others were seeing. Small little me, three months pregnant dragging a six foot tall Russian through the middle of the court grounds. We made it to the clinic in record time. I was thankful however that this time I wasn't a patient. I caught sight of dad looking frantic waiting for us and I saw relief in his eyes as they landed on me.

"Thank god, Kiz. I thought that Janine was going to kill me if you didn't get here before your little sister made her debut." He said and I smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Well I'm here so let's go see her." I said and he smiled. Dimitri waited outside while dad and I went into her room. Mom was the picture of calm until the contractions started and I held one had while dad had the other. I tried to keep her as calm as possible but man did this woman have a death grip on my hand. A look at dad proved he wasn't fairing much better. Hours and a near broken hand later, mom finally brought Kailynn Breanne Hathaway-Mazur into the world. I mentioned the irony of my child having an aunt that would only be about six months or so older than them and mom and dad laughed but did see my point. My wedding was tomorrow afternoon and I was hopeful that mom would be out of here in time. Thankfully the doctor said everything was good and that she could go home in the morning provided she takes it easy for a few days.

"Mom, dad, I wanted to ask if both of you would walk down the aisle with me? I would like for you both to be with me along with my little sis." I said and they smiled widely. If someone had told me just a year ago that I would be this close to both of my parents, I would have called the mental institution to see if they were missing a patient. Lissa had also adopted mom and dad as her own and even though Jill still had her mother in her life, she would also be involved whenever mom and dad were around. Everyone had become much closer and I was happy with the way things were going. Mikhail and Sonya were much the same, happier then they have ever been. Even with this, I still remembered the plans for the Strigoi attacks and although we didn't know when they would occur, I assumed that it would be really soon. Part of me waited for the other shoe to drop and it all to come crashing down, but mostly I was enjoying the quiet setting where for once everyone was happy.

"Rose we would be honored to do that." Mom said smiling. I had never referred to her as mom until we gathered here at court and both of our attitudes changed a lot. I was glad it had changed. I was almost in tears as she handed my little sister over to me. She looked a great deal like me and I could see both mom and dad in her features. She was so tiny but her eyes were bright and inquisitive. I smiled down at my little sister as dad stepped out for Dimitri. I looked at mom to see that her eyes were shining with happy tears even through the exhaustion of childbirth. The tiny form in my arms looked at me with an intelligent expression far older than she was and I smiled. I knew that my little sister would have so much more of a childhood and a relationship with them than I had. I thought previously that I would be jealous of her but there was no jealousy in me. Our parents had finally rekindled their relationship and we didn't have the disfunction that we had during my time at the academy. Dimitri had come in the room and smiled at the sight of me holding our little sister. I knew that because he was protective in nature that he would be the same as a protective brother to her.

Dimitri and I talked to my parents for some time and we left to allow mom to rest. Dad had me go to their room and get some things for her to bring with me when I returned in the morning. It wasn't the ideal situation before I was to be married of course, but my life was anything but ideal so I was used to it by now. Dimitri and I went home to Lissa's suite so that we could spend a little time before the chaos that would be tomorrow before the wedding. I froze momentarily as a thought came to mind. I had forgotten that the Belikov's were to be here today and I smiled widely as Yeva stood in the living room surrounded by the others of Dimitri's family. Paul came running up and hugged me tightly and I smiled. I had missed him so much and he reminded me so much of the man I would marry tomorrow.

"I'm sorry that we weren't able to greet you all. My little sister picked today of all days to make her appearance and we were at the clinic." I explained and they all smiled.

"It's fine Rose. Yeva was cryptic as always, but said that you were busy with something very important." Victoria said and rolled her eyes. I smiled at her and nodded. Lissa was with Christian having dinner and Eddie was her guard tonight so they would be here soon after they finished. Surprisingly Adrian and Sydney had let them into the suite and smiled widely as they approached for a hug.

"Thank you my little dream stalker." I said smiling. He laughed.

"No problem Little Damphir." He said. "How are Janine and the new addition?" he said with true concern and I smiled.

"Both are fine and healthy. Dad and I might have underestimated her grip on our hands though." I said laughing and he smiled. Things had changed dramatically between Adrian and I. Dimitri was even friendly with him now. Since he had found Sydney, he had stopped all the drinking and smoking his life away and was happier than I had seen him before. With me, he was still the suave and handsome person I knew him to be, but his loving feelings for me had changed to that of a sisterly nature.

Olena took it upon herself to make dinner for us and I tried to help, only to be shooed out of the kitchen. I sat on the couch and propped my tired feet into Dimitri's lap. How lucky was I that he knew exactly what I needed even before I did. He rubbed my feet soothing the swelling that had occurred through the day and I smiled at him. Later, after dinner, Lissa arrived with Christian and Eddie and we shared the news of Kailynn being born. Lissa was bouncing up and down in excitement and the others were all happy with the news. Later, Christian and Dimitri were sent out to stay with Eddie in his suite tonight while the girls were getting things ready for tomorrow. I went to bed that night thinking only of Dimitri.

The wedding, for once in my life, went without a hitch and we were married at the church here at court. Mom was released from the clinic and brought Kailynn home as well. I walked the isle like I had imagined. Mom on my left, holding my little sister and my dad to my right. Liss, Jill, Sydney and Mia were all in the wedding as well as Christian, Eddie, Adrian and Paul.

It was perfect and the kiss was filled with all the love and hopes that we had for our lives. Tomorrow was never promised to guardians, but we would love one another until we left this world for good. Our honeymoon was nothing particularly special to most people, but was perfect for me and Dimitri. He had found this little beach property that had a log cabin and rented it for us. I loved it because it reminded me of how far we had come to be together like this. Dimitri knew that I also liked the sun so the beach was also perfect. We stayed a whole week, concealed from the outside world and everything in it. As habit, I did check on Liss once or twice but there was no other contact besides that of our own bodies.

Life at court was fleeting and fast for the next several months and before I knew it, I was nine months pregnant, fat as a cow and due at any moment. We decided that we wanted to be surprised on the sex of the baby, much to Liss' frustration. Dimitri and I were lying in bed, holding one another when I felt a sharp pain and a flow of fluid. Dimitri stopped stroking his fingers through my hair and looked up in alarm at me.

"Roza?" he said warily with concern for me and our baby.

"It's time." I said through clenched teeth and he widened his eyes and lifted me without effort. He took me to the bathroom, carrying a clean gown and helped rid me of the wet clothes before scooping me up and running to the clinic, careful not to jostle me. He somehow managed to phone Liss as he ran and we burst through the doors of the clinic as another contraction wracked my body. I knew that Liss would get mom and dad here along with the others so I focused on my breathing through the pain.

Before long I was exhausted and winded from the pain and pushing before I finally heard the cries of our baby. I smiled widely at the sound and Dimitri sat beside me in happy tears.

"Congratulations, It's a …"

**Okay guys, need your opinions here. Boy/girl? Names? please R&R.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I think that this will be the last chapter guys. I might add some later but for now this is it. Feel free to send any ideas you guys may have and I will see if they can inspire me to write some more.**

Chapter 10

Rose POV

"Congratulations, It's a boy." The doctor said. I smiled a tired smile while Dimitri was beaming in happiness. The Nurse took our little boy and cleaned him up before bringing him over to us and placing him in my arms. All the fatigue that I was experiencing fled from my mind as I gazed at our son. I smiled brightly as tears of joy clouded my vision. I held our son to me reverently and took in his appearance. He had hair color similar to mine, and I could see a slight curl to it. His tiny fingers balled up and closed around my finger and I smiled. I saw many of my own features in him but there were also those that were completely Dimitri.

I handed him over to Dimitri after a few minutes. I was reluctant to let him go but the fatigue was catching up to me. I smiled a teary smile as Dimitri held our son to his chest and smiled so wide, practically splitting his face in two. I would never forget this day for the rest of my life. Dimitri's eyes shone with unshed tears and he looked at our son so lovingly. Dimitri and I discussed what we would name him, finally coming to a decision. After our boy was fed, Dimitri stepped out of the room to bring the rest of our family in to see him.

"Everyone, this is our son, Mason Alexander Ivan Belikov." Dimitri said proudly and I smiled a tired smile as I watched Dimitri hand little Mason off to dad. Our son was passed around the room and most of the conversation was lost to me as I started to dose. I felt Dimitri's hand on mine and I looked up at him. He kissed my forehead and smiled at me. "Sleep Roza, I'll look after our son. I love you Roza."

"I love you Dimitri. He's perfect isn't he?" I said with a smile and he nodded.

"He is Roza. Go to sleep milaya. You have had a hard day." He said and I felt my eyes start to close of their own will and I let the darkness surround me.

We took our son home several days later and I was completely wrapped around his little fingers. I loved my little man so much and it was strange because I had never thought of myself as a mother before but now I wouldn't miss it for the world. Dimitri was the doting father and would always get up with our son and bring him to our room when he needed fed during the night. Dimitri had called his family in Russia and they couldn't wait to meet the little bundle. We of course promised that we would visit once he got just a little bigger.

The months flew by and before I knew it, my little sister was a year old. Little Mason was six months old and we had gathered together for a birthday party for Kailynn who was just starting to walk pretty well. We all had a blast and the adults laughed and watched Kailynn play with some of the children from court. I held little Mason in my arms and the adults talked about various things for a while. We were wrapping up the party when I felt an uneasy feeling settle over me and I was confused until the nausea started. I tensed immediately.

"Mom, take Kailynn and Mason with you and dad and get somewhere safe. Strigoi are coming and by the nausea I'm feeling, it will be a full scale attack. For the first time since I knew my mother, I saw fear in her eyes and she for once didn't argue with me. I told the others and alerted Guardian croft who sent out an alert through court. Parents grabbed their children and followed Mom towards the safety of the court's buildings and I turned to Lissa and the others. "Liss, Jill, go with mom where you are safe. Syd and Adrian, you guys go too." I said and apparently they grasped the gravity of the situation because they didn't argue. Eddie and Dimitri stayed with me as well as Christian. I wanted him to go with Liss but since the offensive magic program passed in court there was no getting him to sit this one out. Dimitri, Eddie and I were ready with our stakes drawn as the court guardians were scrambling to get to our location. The nausea had me almost doubled over as I caught sight of the Strigoi approaching with several humans to break the wards. I didn't have my gun with me around the kids so I turned to Mikhail who had just arrived.

"Mikhail, give me your gun. The rest of you that have guns, aim for the humans that are with them to break the wards." I ordered and Mikhail handed over his gun. I aimed and started taking out some of the humans that were there while the other guardians followed my lead. After several minutes, one of the humans managed to break the wards and the fight was on. I couldn't tell which one was the leader of this operation but they seemed to work together much better than any Strigoi that I have ever heard of. The guardians staked Strigoi left and right and we fought for what seemed like hours. Christian and other fire users were using their fire to distract the Strigoi while the guardians were killing them with their stakes. The numbers were drastically reduced and we were prepared for them since the warning we received from Sonya, so we had fewer losses on our side. Dimitri and I were fighting side by side and we had taken an uncounted amount of Strigoi. We were down to the last few when I was blindsided by one male Strigoi who sent me flying with a hard hit to my shoulder. I rolled across the ground, somehow managing to hold onto my stake. I stood shakily just as the Strigoi lunged, taking me back to the ground again. He pinned me to the ground and I struggled to get free enough to stake the bastard.

The Strigoi above me smiled cruelly and bit my neck. I cried out briefly in pain, but as the endorphins from the bite started to take effect, the weight of the Strigoi was gone. I looked up into the dark brown eyes of Dimitri and I could see the concern there. He helped me to my feet and I swayed slightly. The fight had ended with the last of the Strigoi being staked and the guardians cheered and began to pile bodies and replace the wards. We did lose a few of our guardians and I did feel bad about that, but I was thankful that those I considered family had survived the ordeal. I wanted to go straight to find my mom and hold my son, but Dimitri said I needed to go to the infirmary. I groaned but agreed, not wanting my little sister or my little boy to see me like this.

After I was finally released from the infirmary, the Moroi were given the all clear and released back to their homes. We all walked across court to where we knew Lissa and the others would be. I walked through the door with Dimitri close behind and I was tackled by Lissa.

"Oh Rose, I was so worried. I'm so glad you are alright." She said and noticed my neck and healed it immediately. Normally I didn't want her to heal me but I didn't want the kids to see it so I kept quiet.

"You know me Liss. I'm fine, thanks to Dimitri." I said and she gave me a confused look. I told her that I would explain after the little one were asleep and she nodded.

After the kids were asleep, I told the others what occurred during the fight and they finally relented, allowing us to go and spend some time alone. Dimitri and I went to our apartment that we had gotten shortly after Mason was born, with Dimitri carrying our son and placing him in his bed. We settled in the bedroom after our shower and Dimitri hugged me tightly to him.

"I was afraid that I would lose you tonight." Dimitri confessed and I looked into his eyes. I hugged him tightly in reassurance.

Dimitri and I spent the next few hours showing our love for one another and we didn't need any words. Little Mason woke up and I fed him before we all drifted into the darkness of sleep.

oO-Six months later-Oo

I was so happy at the way life here at court turned out. Little Mason was celebrating his first birthday and I was smiling widely. I had something that I needed to talk to Dimitri about and I almost couldn't contain my excitement. I found this morning that I was at least a month pregnant and I was surprised to say the least, but happy. Those at court looked oddly at me during my first pregnancy but they grew to love our little boy and they could see both of us in his features, so the suspicions dropped. Some Moroi wanted to investigate the reasons I could get pregnant with Dimitri's children but Lissa nipped that idea immediately. So we were setting up for little Mason's party and I was practically bouncing with excitement but kept it down so that no one would notice. I looked over and saw Adrian staring at me and his eyes widened. I smiled and held my finger to my lips, motioning for him to keep quiet and he smiled widely. I was thankful at the moment that Liss couldn't read auras as well as Adrian could.

The party got underway and I smiled as Kailynn and Mason played together and Mason attempted to unwrap his presents. Mom and I were taking pictures like mad women and I smiled at the sight before me. We sat down later that evening to a family dinner and I sat between Dimitri and my father, holding Mason in my arms. Dimitri took him from me and sat him down in his high chair and gave him his food. We talked about random things until dad looked up at me and smiled.

"So Rose, when will we be expecting another grandchild?" He said and I wanted to strangle him, but that did give me an opening for my little announcement. The question came so suddenly that Dimitri almost choked on the food he had just put in his mouth. I was sure that my eyes were wide as saucers but I regained my composure and smiled.

"Well dad, I would normally want to strangle you for putting me on the spot like this, but I would say in about eight months." I said straight faced and like it was nothing. Silence. Silence was all that was heard until it was broken by an excited squeal from Liss and the other girls. Dimitri whipped his head to me, asking me with his eyes if I was serious and I nodded. He broke out with the largest smile known to man and I smiled in return just before he planted his lips on mine in his excitement. He pulled away and I laughed. Life was perfect.

Eight months later Dimitri was sitting at my right side and Mom was on my left, holding my hands while I was breathing through the contractions that would bring our child into the world.

"Guardian Belikov, on the next contraction, I want you to push." The doctor said and several agonizing pushes and contractions later, we heard the loud healthy cry of our baby. "Congratulations, It's a girl." The doctor said and I cried tears of happiness as the nurse handed our little girl to me. Dimitri's eyes shone with pride and happiness. Mom left the room to give us some time with our daughter and tell the others about out little girl. Dimitri and I decided on her name and bonded with her. I fed her before the others came in to see our little girl. Kailynn, who was now a little over two years old, came up and hugged me carefully. Mom was holding a 20 month old Mason.

"Sissy, am I an aunti again?" she asked sweetly and I smiled a tired smile.

"Yes, baby. You have a little niece to help take care of now. She is still tiny so we have to take good care of her. Little Mason is a big brother now." I explained and she looked a little confused.

"But Mason isn't big, he's little." She said seriously and I couldn't help but laugh. Thankfully mom came to my rescue.

"Yes he is honey, but he is older." Mom said and I smiled.

"Oh, okay." She said and we laughed a little. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Jasmine Alyssa Belikov." I said and she smiled widely as did the others in the room.

"That's pretty sissy." Kailynn said and I smiled at her.

"Sweety, let's let Sissy get some rest honey." Mom said and I yawned as if on cue.

Life was perfect now. I had my family, my friends, my handsome husband and son, and my beautiful little girl. It was heaven on earth.


End file.
